Riad l'Artiste

The ladies running the place were brilliant, always friendly and helpful, and they served delicious breakfasts that changed a little each morning. Tea was there whenever we wanted it. Our downstairs room was huge, with a bathroom upstairs, and was the largest room we’d had in Morocco for such a great price. The Riad is beautiful and close to the heart of the Medina. The one downside was the noise early in the morning while breakfast was being prepared. Since our room was downstairs, we woke up to it. It’s probably fine if you sleep heavily.

Youssef was always around to answer questions, help arrange an excursion or transport, and make us breakfast, which made our stay really nice. The riad itself was very nice and quiet, away from the busy part of the medina but just a block from the main street leading to the sights. There are plenty of restaurants nearby, and dinner at the riad was good too. Our room was comfortable and adequate, though not as nice as the one we had in Marrakesh. The sheets weren’t fitted and the toilet seat was loose.

The dim lighting in our room was a drawback. Its windows looked into the main courtyard, but since we were on the ground floor, we felt awkward leaving them open for privacy. The bathroom could also have used a deep clean. The bed was comfortably large, with bedside tables and outlets on both sides. The Riad is well placed for the Medina, with lots of restaurants nearby. Our favorite, the Ruined Garden, was only a 15 minutes walk. Youssef tries hard to help guests enjoy their stay, and you can take or leave his suggestions. The building is insulated well enough that we didn’t wake to morning prayer, though their songbird likes to sing around 10 am. Breakfast was fairly standard, mostly different kinds of bread. One day we had the Moroccan version of paratha. I liked it, and we often saved extra pieces for a snack. There are other options nearby if you want something fancier. We found it reputable and fairly priced.

We were spoiled by the wonderful service here, especially after moving to our next riad in Marrakesh, where it wasn’t nearly as good. It’s a great place on the edge of the Fes Medina, and we highly recommend Riad L'Artiste.