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The arcaded courtyard of Dar Batha with its sunken zellige pool

Luxury riads and palace hotels in Fes

The finest stays in Fes are restored palace riads inside the medina, a few palace hotels on its edge and hilltop suites above it. We shortlist them for quiet, light and service, then book your stay inside a private trip. We don't own or manage any of them, so we can say which suits you.

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The courtyards worth crossing the medina for.Plan this with us

  • Styles: Palace riad, palace hotel, design hotel
  • Where: Medina, its edge or the hills
  • How we book: Within a private trip
  • Quote: Written and itemised
Dar Batha, Fes

Behind a plain door, a palace

A Fes riad gives nothing away from the lane: a studded cedar door in a blank wall. Inside, the house opens around a courtyard of zellige, carved plaster and cedar, often with a fountain or orange trees, and the noise of the medina stops at the threshold.

The best of them are former merchant and court houses restored by hand, some with a hammam, a spa or a pool. Palace hotels on the medina's edge add gardens and a car at the door; hilltop suites near Borj Nord trade the lanes for a view over the whole city.

PropertyAreaStyleKnown for (as sourced)Source
Riad FèsFes el-Bali, upper medinaRiad-palaceListed in the Michelin Guide with a Michelin Key; a Relais & Châteaux member; spa by Cinq MondesMichelin Guide; Relais & Châteaux
Sofitel Palais JamaïEdge of Fes el-Bali, near Bab GuissaPalace hotel in a 19th-century palaceGardens and pools on the medina's edgeWikipedia (Jamai Palace); Travelocity
Palais Faraj Suites & SpaAbove the medina, near Borj NordHilltop palace suitesMedina views and a spaJacada; Mahlatini
Hotel SahraïOn the hill above the medinaContemporary design hotelA modern alternative to a riadyonder.fr (2026)
Karawan RiadFes el-Bali17th-century palace riadHammam and spamalika-in-morocco; Wanderlog
Riad Laaroussa Hotel & SpaFes el-BaliSmall riadTraditional hammam and spa treatmentsOyster
Palais de Fès Suites & SpaAbove the medinaPalace suites with a restaurantPanoramic medina viewsimply-morocco
Palais NazhaFes el-BaliLarge riadDescribed as feeling more like a resort than a medina staymalika-in-morocco
Le Jardin des BiehnFes el-Bali, near Bab BoujloudGarden riadGarden setting, antiques, the Fez CaféFrommer's; Indagare
Riad Rcif Alif Suite & SpaFes el-Bali, R'cifRiad with spaHas a lift, which suits guests with limited mobilitysimply-morocco
Cut-tile zellige below a carved calligraphy band and stucco on a pillar of the Al-Attarine madrasa

Styles: Palace riad, palace hotel, design hotel.

Al-Attarine Madrasa, Fes

Around your stay

Rooftop terraces and houses of the Fes medina in bright sunAreasWhere to stay in FesFes el-Bali, Batha, Fes el-Jdid or the Ville Nouvelle: who each suits.Take a lookStucco arches and a brass chandelier under the dome of the Hammam Saffarin reception hallWellnessLuxury spas and private hammamsRiad spas, black soap and kessa, and couples rituals.Take a lookA meat tagine topped with prunes, almonds and sesame on a zellige table, flatbread beside itEveningsPrivate dining in FesA chef's tasting menu, a palace courtyard or supper in a Fassi home.Take a lookJacaranda in bloom over the garden and fountain of the Dar Batha palaceCouplesA honeymoon in FesA courtyard suite, a private hammam, rooftop dinners and a night in the dunes.Take a lookThe sun setting over rippled orange dunes in Erg Chebbi2 to 3 daysA luxury Sahara trip from FesA private 4x4, a small dune camp at Erg Chebbi and sunrise on the sand.Take a look

How booking your stay through us works

Tell us how you travel

Dates, who is coming, mobility, and whether you want a spa, a pool, a view or the deepest medina.

We shortlist two or three

With the area, the room type we'd ask for and why. If a place is wrong for you, we say so.

One written proposal

The stay sits inside your whole trip: transfers, guide, dinners and day trips, in one custom quote.

Arrival, handled

Driver to the right gate, porter booked, and the riad expecting you.

Who arranges it

A Fes-based trip planner from Serenity Morocco Tours puts the whole thing together: the stay, the transfers, the guide, the tables and the timing. We tell you why we suggest each place, and if a property isn't right for your dates or your needs we say so and offer another. You get one written proposal and one contact for the whole trip.

What we arrange

  • A shortlist matched to your trip, with reasons
  • Booking the stay inside your custom trip
  • Transfers to the nearest gate or the door
  • Porter, first-day guide and dinner reservations

Tell us what matters

  • Deep medina
  • Garden or pool
  • Hammam or spa in-house
  • A lift
  • Family suite
  • Hilltop view
  • Honeymoon suite

How we work

  • We plan and book; we don't own or manage any property
  • Shortlisted for quiet, light and service
  • A porter booked at the gate on arrival
  • Written plan and custom quote, no fixed prices

Before you ask us

The questions people ask us most before they plan a trip.

What are the best luxury riads in Fes?
It depends on what you want. Riad Fès is listed in the Michelin Guide with a Michelin Key and is a Relais & Châteaux member. Karawan Riad and Riad Laaroussa are known for their hammams. Palais Faraj and Palais de Fès look over the medina from above. Tell us how you travel and we shortlist two or three for you.
What are the best hotels in Fes?
For a hotel rather than a riad, the palace hotels on the medina's edge, such as the Sofitel Palais Jamaï near Bab Guissa, add gardens, pools and a car at the door. Hotel Sahraï is a contemporary design hotel on the hill above the medina. Riad Rcif Alif has a lift, which matters if stairs are a problem.
Riad or hotel in Fes: which is better?
A riad puts you inside the medina in a restored house around a courtyard, usually with a handful of rooms and personal service. A palace or design hotel gives you more facilities, car access and often a pool, at the cost of some atmosphere. Many guests split their nights between the two.
Do you own or partner with these riads?
No. We are a tour operator: we plan your trip and book the stay as part of it. We don't own, manage or have exclusive deals with any property, which lets us suggest the one that fits you rather than the one we need to fill.
How much does a luxury riad in Fes cost?
We don't publish prices. Rates change with the season, the room and the length of stay, and the stay is quoted inside your whole trip. Send your dates and we reply with a written proposal.

Keep planning

Photo credits (Wikimedia Commons)

Tell us your dates. We'll plan it with you.

  1. Tell us what drew you in. Your dates, who is travelling and what you want to see.
  2. A person reads it. We write a day-by-day plan for your group, private or small-group.
  3. You change anything. Then we confirm the guides, drivers and riads.
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