From US$250 inclusive of buffet breakfast
– Beautiful buildings with different decors catering to a mix of tastes.
– Wifi isn’t the greatest, and wasn’t always working during my stay (and completely unavailable in the office area of my suite).
A member of Relais & Châteaux, Riad Fès has four different wings, beautifully catering to the decor tastes of a wide variety of guests.
Utmost care has been taken in designing and furnishing both the public and private rooms. The Moroccan style is typical of what you see elsewhere in Fès, with zelige mosaic floors and carved plasterwork, but much more finely done. The Oriental and Baraco-Andalous wings are more subdued, the former featuring gorgeous dark wood.
My room was in the contemporary wing, overlooking the spa and lap pool. It had warm neutral colours and clean modern lines. The glass door, protected by curtains, kept sound and light out of the bedroom, giving me a very refreshing sleep. Open to the spa courtyard, my separate area with couch and table, desk and Nespresso machine was more susceptible to noise and was outside of the wifi zone. Rooms are well equipped with comforts, including a big bathtub with separate shower, heated towel bars, lots of bathroom amenities, a flat screen tv (8 channels, mostly news), and a Bose 30 pin music player.
Riad Fès provides a complimentary breakfast buffet from 7 to 10 am in the restaurant, but don’t arrive late because they start to put everything away at 10:02. There’s a selection of eggs and crèpes to order, and a variety of pastries, fruits, yogurt, cheese and charcuterie on the buffet. The juices — carrot/orange, beet/orange and plain orange — were vivid and delicious.
Evenings should be spent in the rooftop terrace bar which overlooks the medina and the hills beyond. The smiling server who manages the bar goes out of his way to make sure every guest has exactly what they want and will even snap photos of you in front of the beautiful view.
There are many choices of places to relax throughout the hotel, including several patios and courtyards. Several are even accessible by elevator, as are some of the rooms. I enjoyed complimentary mint tea and coconut cookies in the sumptuous lobby. L’Ambre restaurant seats 70 for lunch or dinner. L’Alcazar bar hosts cocktails indoors overlooking the pool or on the Andalusian patio. There’s also a wine bar.
Riad Fès has a spa with hammam by Cinq Mondes, also open to outside guests. Several treatment rooms have a lovely view of the pool. There’s a fitness centre above the spa and the pool is great for cooling off and for laps.
