Riad Fes

Rooms

There's quite a difference between the various roomtypes so it's worth choosing carefully. On balance we preferred the Deluxe Rooms, but the older Standard Rooms with terrace came a close second. We haven't seen the baroque rooms yet.

Deluxe Rooms, above the Andalous patio, are clean and contemporary, with cream walls, pale floor tiles and dark-stained wooden furniture, including vast beds, low coffee tables and a desk. A scattering of bright rugs, silky quilts and heavy floral curtains keeps them from being minimal, but by comparison with the usual over-ornate Fassi riad, they're pretty toned down. There's no shortage of space, and plenty of storage room too. Most have windows overlooking the court, but noise is not a problem as the bar music stops around 10.30pm. You get all mod cons - air-conditioning, satellite TV, safe, minibar, CD player - and the result is that you feel very comfy and sleep very soundly. The only possible criticism is that you could be in almost any small luxury hotel in the Arab world.

Black-tiled bathrooms all have a tub (this is a legal requirement of the 'luxury hotel' category); 3 have a separate shower room too, glazed in smooth tadlakt plaster of course. Beside the twin basins is a bewildering collection of herbal/mineral rubs and scrubs in pretty ceramic dishes, and a comforting stack of fluffy towels and robes.

Pride of place in this wing goes to the Ambassador Suite, a palatial double aspect room with 3 windows over the upper Andalous terrace and 3 over the neighbouring garden. It's clearly designed to impress - high beamed ceiling, generous sitting area, a gleaming marble and tadelakt bathroom - and it's no surprise that the GM of Louis Vuitton stayed here. The Junior Suite, above this, is the best of this category, with its own balcony.

Of the older rooms, we liked the Standard rooms with terraces, whose pretty peach hues, carved headboard and screened outside sitting area make it an outstanding value-for-money choice. The remaining Standard Rooms are less enticing, with some dubious colour schemes (green bathroom tiling, vivid orange curtains) and rather dated bathrooms (though the claw-footed tubs might be a draw for some). The Royal Suite - the most expensive in the hotel - is fantastically over-the-top, with half-tiled and half-stuccoed walls, a patterned zellij floor and a creamy kingsize bed and armchairs; the downstairs bathroom is spacious, but lacks natural light.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Minibar/fridge
• WiFi

Eating

An excellent breakfast is served at wrought-iron tables beside the dipping pool in the old court, brushed by roses and citrus leaves. Waitresses bring you seasonal fruit salad (banana, melon, pomegranate seeds), individual yoghurts, fresh orange juice and all manner of pancakes and crumpet-like things, presented on elegant blue-white patterned china and starched tablecloths. Our only complaint was that the tea - as so often - tasted faintly of coffee from the flasks which are used for both.

You can also book dinner (see Rates) in the cosy restaurant room or upstairs on the roof-level terrace, looking out over the hotch-potch of sandy stone houses and copper-hatted minarets that typify Fes' medina. Expect a spread of Moroccan cooked salads (fried zucchini, soft aubergines, tasty tomato paste) or a soup such as lharira (chickpeas and lentils), followed by a main such as stewed lamb with quince and sesame, or roast chicken stuffed with semolina, almonds and raisins (the sweet-sour combo is popular here). First-timers might want to order classics like pastilla (puff pastry filled with pigeon and almonds) or couscous with 7 vegetables. Desserts include strawberry mousse (runny but delicious), carrot soup with orange-blossom water and briouates in honey. There are plenty of decent local wines in stock, and coffee/tea is included in the price. All in all, the meal was good without being outstanding, and you will probably want to eat out some of the time. Options range from a simple streetside snack to a fully-fledged feast at La Maison Bleue; ask staff for advice.

Features include:

• Minibar/fridge
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Explore Fes’ vast and vigorous medina (old walled centre) - preferably with an official guide (booked through the hotel), as it’s a tangle of winding alleys with no street signs and plenty of touts and poverty and grime
  
• Stop by the medersas (religious colleges) with their stately courtyards decorated with finely carved wood and stucco; the grandiose dars and palaces hidden behind lowly wooden doors; the tanneries, where you look down on vatfuls of brightly coloured dyes and the quasi-medieval serfs who stir the ponging mixtures; glimpses into the mausoleum of Moulay Idriss II (the city’s founder); the wood museum on Nejjarin square; the gold markets and clothes / fabric shops of Kissaria; the exotic fruit and vegetable stalls; and all the other souks
  
• If that sounds daunting, start with the medina of nearby Meknes, sometimes called ‘Fes lite’ - smaller and more manageable but also less impressive; its 25-mile-long city walls and monumental babs (gates) are a highlight
  
• Take a morning visit to the beautiful mosaics in the ruined Roman city of Volubilis - a must if you’re interested in Roman history, and haven’t seen the mosaics of Pompeii or Sicily; the town survived into the 18th century, so you can still see residential quarters as well as public monuments
  
• Also in the area is Moulay Idriss, a bustling pilgrimage town for Muslims honouring the great grandson of the prophet Mohammed and founder of Fes; a trip here is worth one fifth of the hajj to Mecca
  
• In summer, escape into the cool mountains of the Middle Atlas around Azrou and Ifrane (1-2 hours); with their cedar forests and verdant lakes, the scenery is reminiscent of the Alps, and in winter you can even go skiing
  
• You can book the hotel's hammam or get a massage with essential oils (see Rates); or take a hot soak in the spa town of Moulay Yacoub (1/2 hour away)
  
• There's horse-riding just outside town, and the Royal Fes golf club 10km away

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Golf
• Horse riding

Kids

Children are welcome and all rooms are suitable; cots are available. Children are free up to 3 years old and cots are also free; for children up to 18 years old an extra bed in parents' room is an additional cost.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 30 minutes
• Shops: 2 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Riad Fès is in the Zerbtana area of Fes' medina (walled centre), 5-7 minutes' walk from the Place Batha (parking). It's a few minutes walk from the souks and from Bab Boujloud, the main gate in to the medina.

By Air
Fly into Fes Sais (15km). Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving this airport.

By Train
There are regular trains to Fès from Casablanca (4hrs), Tangiers (5hrs) and Marrakech (7hrs). The station is 10 minutes' drive away from the Riad.

From the airport
It is about 30 minutes from the airport to Riad Fes. The hotel can arrange transfers from here and the train station (see Rates). You can also get a taxi into the city from the airport, and arrange to be met at Place Batha. It is not wise to try and find the hotel alone, with your luggage.

By Car
If you want to hire a car to explore other parts of Morocco see our car rental recommendations.

More on getting to Morocco and getting around