Best Riads in Fes

Riad Laaroussa

Douh Quarter, Fes el-Bali (near tanneries)

An 18th-century palace spread across seven floors — one of the grandest private residences ever restored in Fes. The courtyard alone, with its four-tier stucco arches and central marble fountain, is worth the journey. Eight rooms and suites, each named after Moroccan scholars. The hammam is one of the finest private hammams in the country. The rooftop overlooks the tanneries and the entire medina skyline.

Riad Fes

Batha Quarter, near Bab Bou Jeloud

The most celebrated luxury riad in Fes and arguably Morocco's finest — a six-riad complex with 21 rooms and suites arranged around three spectacular Andalusian-style courtyards. The restaurant serves elaborate Fassi cuisine across multiple dining rooms. A Relais & Châteaux property, with spa, two pools and impeccable service. The definitive Fes splurge.

Palais Amani

Northern medina, near Bab Guissa gate

A former minister's palace with one of the largest private gardens in any medina in Morocco — a remarkable rarity in the dense urban fabric of Fes el-Bali. The pool is surrounded by orange trees and roses; the rooms are vast, with hand-painted ceilings and antique furnishings. The cooking school here is one of the best in Morocco — book a Fassi cuisine class in advance.

Dar Bensouda

Near Bou Inania Madrasa, central medina

One of Fes's most perfectly proportioned riads — a 17th-century dar with seven rooms arranged around a central stucco courtyard that has been lovingly restored to its original grandeur without sanitising the atmosphere. The cedar-panelled salon is a masterpiece, and the terrace breakfast — msemen, honey, fresh amlou — is the best way to start a day in the medina.

Dar Roumana

Andalusian Quarter, east bank of Oued Fes

A stylish boutique riad in the quieter Andalusian quarter, run by a French-Moroccan couple with genuine passion for Fassi cooking. Six rooms, an immaculate zellige-tiled courtyard and a celebrated table d'hôte dinner (book in advance) that showcases traditional recipes you won't find in restaurants. The atmosphere is intimate and cultured — this feels like a private house, not a hotel.

Riad Idrissy

Near Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque, central medina

A five-room boutique riad with an ideal location — minutes from the Kairaouine Mosque and the university, the oldest centre of scholarship in the world. The rooms are decorated with antique Moroccan pieces collected over decades, and the owner Fatima offers genuine insight into Fes that no guidebook can provide. One of the most personal riad experiences in the city.

Riad Rcif

R'cif Quarter, close to Al-Qarawiyyin

Outstanding value — a clean, cheerful riad near the R'cif bridge with an open courtyard, eight comfortable rooms and some of the warmest hospitality in the medina. The family-run kitchen produces a legendary Moroccan breakfast and will prepare tagine dinners on request. A 10-minute walk to the tanneries; 5 minutes to the mosque.

Dar Hafsa

Talaa Seghira, central Fes el-Bali

Fes's best honest budget option — no luxury pretensions, but clean rooms, a bright tiled courtyard, strong WiFi and a Moroccan breakfast that costs less than a café in Paris. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable about the medina. This is the riad for travellers who want to spend their budget on food and experiences, not thread count.