Dar El Ouedghiri

The staff were incredibly kind and looked after everything, making sure everyone in our group had a great time. I've never had better hospitality. The hotel itself is beautiful, with lovely rooms, a courtyard, and rooftop. Breakfast was delicious and plentiful, and the location worked well for shops and restaurants, with the souks not far away. I can't recommend it enough.

I loved my three nights here. The terrace was a beautiful place to eat, and the staff were all friendly and hospitable, going out of their way to help with my different needs. I also spent time with Omar the chef, taking a cooking class and exploring the market with him. Highly recommend!

The best parts were the excellent internet, rooftop views and terrace, helpful staff, and a comfortable bed. Privacy was scarce, the stairs were difficult, and the bathroom was tiny. As a digital nomad, a good connection matters a lot. Other riads in the old medina had warned of poor internet, so I was surprised to get 110 to 190 Mbps here, with loaded latency of 34 to 117ms. Much better than I'd expected to find in northern Africa. The old medina location is charming and wonderful for the price. Staff were exceedingly helpful and friendly. The rooftop had several places to eat or relax and lovely views by day or night. Getting mint tea or coffee at any time was a wonderful tradition. Breakfast was included, which was nice, if not very interesting. The egg dish and fresh orange juice each morning were very good, while the Moroccan crepes, though surely authentic, were a bit underwhelming. Daily maid service was handy, and arranging a hammam at a nearby sister Riad was convenient and well done. My room was large, with a desk and sitting bench, and the bed was comfy with lots of pillows. This building is more than 1,000 years old and used to be a multigenerational family home. That's true of all riads, so this one isn't unusual in that way. But it seems little was upgraded in recent decades, apart from the great internet. Doors and windows are thin and don't shut fully, and some have no shades, so others can see in. There's no sound insulation. All eight rooms on three levels open onto the enclosed central space, so a conversation or sneeze from one room carries to everyone. There's hardly any personal space or privacy. The bathroom has another thin door that doesn't close properly either, and anyone having a difficult time in there is heard and noticed by the whole riad. That made work, VoIP calls, or even a private conversation in my room awkward and inconvenient. The bathroom's tiny and hard to maneuver in, and the toilet isn't fixed securely, so it makes a loud racket every time you use it. I hadn't visited Fes or Morocco before, and nobody told me an airport taxi couldn't drop me close to the riad. I was left with my bags in the street, having to find my way through the steep, narrow old medina streets alone or rely on street hustlers to lead me. That was quite a culture shock, and some warning would've helped. Another normal but inconvenient thing is the tiny Moroccan staircases, with steps around 12 inches high and lots of them in tight spaces, up and down, with no elevator. Staying in a riad may be hard for older people or anyone with sensitive or bad knees. This applies throughout the old medina, not just here.

Of the six or seven different riads and dars we stayed in on our trip, this was one of the best. The interior is decorated beautifully, almost like a museum. Staff were very attentive and kind with every request, and our double room with an extra bed was clean and spacious. Breakfast came with several options, including two types of msemmen, eggs with klii, and cheese. It was served in the hall or on the terrace overlooking all of Fes. We'd definitely book again in the future, unless the place had become a museum by then :)