GUESTHOUSEGUESTHOUSEGUESTHOUSEGUESTHOUSEGUESTHOUSEAzleten; s/d from Dh1700/1900; ) You have to be careful not to get lost in this riad –
it’s four houses knocked together and even extended across the street. Start in the orange-
tree-clad, Andalucian-style courtyard, then find your way to any of the 13 rooms, possibly
stopping en route at the private spa, bar, dining salon and fashionably dark and plush ‘Blue
Lounge’, where there is more eating and drinking on offer. If you don’t want to crash in your
room, chill on the terrace with its fine views to Borj Nord.
Riad Fès €€€
Offline map Google map ( 0535 94 76 10; www.riadfes.com; Derb ibn Slimane, Zerbtana; r/stefrom Dh1700/3000; ) This labyrinthine riad blends ancient and modern with impressive
panache. The older section shows off the best of traditional decor, while the newer quarters
wouldn’t look out of place in a Parisian boutique hotel yet remain unmistakably Moroccan. It has
a trendy courtyard bar, restaurant, hammam and a plethora of terraces.
Riad Laaroussa €€€
Offline map Google map ( 0674 18 76 39; www.riad-laaroussa.com; 3 Derb Bechara, TalaaSeghira; r Dh1400-2800; ) Although a garden is meant to be the defining feature of a riad,
it still comes as something of a surprise to pass through the dark entrance here to meet such a
large green space, with its orange trees and softly playing fountain. Instantly relaxed, you
continue to the fine rooms decorated with modern art and unusual furniture that make it clear
the owners haven’t just stolen ideas from this month’s Moroccan style magazine. The new in-
house hammam is open to nonguests.
Riad Les Oudayas €€€
Offline map Google map ( 0535 63 63 03; www.lesoudayas.com; 4 Derb el Hamiya, Ziat; r fromDh1400; ) The Moroccan owner of this riad is a Paris-based designer, and it certainly
shows in its careful blend of traditional styles and modern design aesthetic in everything from
the downstairs salons to the chic but comfortable bedrooms. Steps lead down from street level
into the courtyard garden, with a plunge pool and the riad’s own hammam leading off it. Up top
there’s a large terrace, but if you crave privacy, two of the five rooms have private terraces.
Ryad Mabrouka €€
Offline map Google map ( 0535 63 63 45; www.ryadmabrouka.com; 25 Derb el-Mitter, Ain-Azleten; r Dh1150-1450, ste Dh1600-2000; ) An old favourite and early player on the
Fez riad scene, Mabrouka is a meticulously restored Arab-Andalucian townhouse. The
courtyard, with its stucco, mosaics, magnificent cedar doors and babbling fountain, opens onto
a pleasant garden of flowers and trees. There are seven rooms, decked out with tiled floors
and Berber fabrics. Enjoy a simple breakfast or an all-out Moroccan feast on the veranda
overlooking the medina.
Sofitel Palais Jamaï €€€
Offline map Google map ( 0535 63 43 31; www.sofitel.com; Bab Guissa; s/d from
Dh1950/2600; ) Once the pleasure dome of a late-19th- century vizier to the sultan, this
grand hotel is set in Andalucian gardens overlooking the medina. Its rooms have had a recent