What are the top five best places to stay in Fez, Morocco? Hotels that give you a real taste of the old Morocco.
A stay in Fez will enchant you. Explore the Medina, a maze of narrow lanes, mosques, and bewitching markets full of hustle and bustle. Meander through the city’s historic gardens, explore stunning palaces, barter in the souks and bathe in the thermal baths. Allow yourself to be tempted by aromatic tagines and the many silk and carpet shops which ooze vivid color into the ancient streets. This city is packed full of Unesco-worthy history, and a stay in a charismatic boutique hotel is really the only way to appreciate this magnificent city.
Fly into Fez-Saiss Airport (FES), which is 15km away from the city. Then take a bus or ‘grands taxi’ from the airport to the city center, or book a taxi through your Riad. Fez train station is about a 10-minute walk away from Place Mohammed V, and trains depart every two hours to Casablanca via Rabat and Meknès (there are also two overnight trains). There are also trains to Marrakech and Tangier.
1. Palais Amani
Conveniently situated just inside the medina walls is Palais Amani, an intimate and stunning luxury boutique hotel that perfectly blends traditional Moroccan style and décor. This outstanding hotel, featured by Conde Nast Traveller, provides a tranquil oasis of calm amid the hustle and bustle of Fez and provides the perfect base while visiting this exciting travel destination.
This historic riad-style palace has been lovingly restored to create an opulent eighteen-bedroom hotel. Filled with traditional Moroccan furnishings and exquisite tiling, the centerpiece is a beautiful interior garden planted with fragrant orange, lemon, and tangerine trees. There is also a fountain where you can watch birds enjoying the water, a traditional hammam, and a rooftop bar with spectacular views. The multi-lingual staff here are friendly and attentive.
Each room has a character all of its own, with some boasting impressive high ceilings and others a cozier feel with low beams. All rooms benefit from a Wi-Fi connection, a private sound system, and fine Egyptian hand-embroidered linen. All rooms also have their own modern ensuite bathroom, equipped with luxury toiletries and a hairdryer. For small families or those who fancy treating themselves, larger suites are available, beautifully decorated in traditional Moroccan style with great attention to detail. All of the rooms are of a good size. Those with views of the courtyard are popular, while first-floor rooms benefit from the shade of the trees.
The cuisine at Palais Amani is based on traditional Moroccan home cooking with a modern twist. Served either in the restaurant dining room or on the rooftop terrace, the dishes are prepared using locally sourced produce. The lemon mousse made with lemons grown in the hotel garden is not to be missed! Breakfast includes yogurt, jams, cheeses, fruit juices, and freshly baked Moroccan bread. For cocktails or tapas with a spectacular view of Fez, head to the rooftop bar.
Exquisitely decorated and lit with candles, the luxurious hammam offers you the chance to experience this traditional ritual. Treatments include foot scrubs, body scrubs, clay masks, and steam baths, ensuring that you leave with “glowing elasticity and softness of skin”! Or if spa treatments aren’t your cup of tea, how about taking advantage of the hotel’s cookery classes? From sourcing produce in the local markets under the guidance of the chef to creating a meal and enjoying the fruits of your labor afterward, this is an experience that any foodie will love.
Outside the hotel, there is so much to see, from the ancient medina to museums, beautiful architecture, natural baths at Moulay Yacoub and Roman ruins at Volubilis, as well as a golf course, tennis courts, and even a ski resort nearby.
Combining a beautiful old Moroccan style with modern luxury, the Palais Amani is a truly special place to stay in the heart of Fez.
2. Riad Fès
Riad Fès, a member of Relais & Chateaux, has a beautiful foyers. Luxurious furnishings sit surrounded by walls and pillars plastered with thousands upon thousands of intricate mosaic tiles. This majestic palace is an authentic example of Hispanic-Moorish architecture, boasting four harmoniously styled patios, sculpted doors and zelliges on the walls, stucco arcades, and marble basins.
Unusually for boutique hotels in Fez, some of the lavish rooms here offer balconies facing outwards over the city rather than inwards towards the courtyard. These balconies, and the rooftop terrace, offer panoramic views of the magical spectacle of the sun rising over the Fès Medina and the Atlas mountains.
This boutique hotel offers Hammams and massages, sophisticated cuisine, and a trendy lounge bar. Perhaps the most striking feature of this centrally located hotel is its garden, which offers a beautiful pool situated in the new contemporary pavilion. With 14 meters of length and 1.5 meters of depth, this is a wonderful place to lounge after a day of exploring.
3. Hotel Sahrai
Hotel Sahrai has an ambiance filled with engaging contemporary Moroccan art. The vibrant rooftop bar and a bold interior architecture by acclaimed French designer Christophe Pillet make this worth a visit.
The gourmet Moroccan cuisine at Amaraz Restaurant is excellent and delivered under the beams of their vast dining room. Rooms and suites blur the line between traditional and modern. Designed with glass-walled bathrooms, layers of sheer curtains, and a palette of warm grey tones.
4. Riad Mayfez Suites & Spa
Riad Mayfez Suites & Spa is a palace boutique hotel which has maintained the family intimacy and Parisian chic of these houses of yesteryear. Riad Mayfez Suites & Spa is decorated with antiques and artworks from all over the world.
5. Riad Braya
Riad Braya is located in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods of the Medina of Fez (old city) close to the blue gate and loads of local restaurants. Riad Braya actually takes out its name from the blue color of the famous zellij of the city of Fez.
This Riad was originally the house of the noble Fassi families, and it now welcomes guests in a boutique hotel setting and features an indoor swimming pool, a courtyard with Italian marble and Moroccan zellige tiles, and a terrace with mountain views.
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