Fez experiences

Many people, late-bookers amongst us in particular, are now looking at their options for summer holidays. With long distance travel and expensive hotels being somewhat out of fashion in 2009, many people are looking at Morocco, which benefits from being a short flight away from the UK and Europe. Morocco also offers a fantastic range of competitively priced high quality riad and hotel accommodation against a wonderful backdrop of the fascinating and exotic Moroccan culture, outdoor activities, and reliable north African sunshine.

Proving popular in 2009 is the city of Fez, Morocco’s second city after Marrakech. Fez is the cultural and intellectual heartland of Morocco with its palaces, gardens, souks, mosques and other buildings of note. It was the capital of the medieval Merinid empire and remains the spiritual heart of Morocco.

Morocco Gateway is offering an exciting range of raid and hotel options in Fez to suit all tastes and budgets. These include Ryad Mabrouka, a guesthouse of 6 suites and 2 rooms, complete with a small swimming pool and restaurant. Renovated and restored in 2000, Riad Mabrouka is ideal for guests looking for a comfortable stay to re-charge their batteries and also for those wanting to explore Fez and its surrounding attractions.

Alternatively Riad Fes is a larger hotel offering twenty-one rooms where guests has the option of room in a modern style or the standard rooms which provide more of a traditional Moroccan authenticity. Riad Fes also serves a complimentary breakfast on the patio outside daily, surrounding the its pool and garden.

Finally, Riad Numero 9, a charmingly traditional three-storey home, built in the eighteenth century by a wealthy merchant. The present owners originally bought the riad as a holiday home but their choice to renovate and open it as a guesthouse in 2007 allows guests to take advantage of a home from home. The riad’s three guestrooms all look over the same courtyard. The standard room is situated on the first floor and is joined by the junior suite on the other side. Ascend another staircase and guests will find the master suite, extending over the whole third floor, spacious and beautifully decorated in French, English and Asian antiques.


The city of Fez is also a good base from which to explore the surrounding region that offers the Atlas Mountains, the spa towns of Moulay Yacoub and Sidi Harazem and the calmer imperial city of Meknes.