Riad Laaroussa

Fes has plenty of wonderful riads run by professional, respectful people, but unfortunately this wasn’t one of them. I’d strongly recommend choosing somewhere else if you want to enjoy your time in the medina. From start to finish, my stay was extremely disappointing. The photos online are misleading, and the property felt neglected and poorly maintained. The room hadn’t been properly prepared, and cleanliness was questionable. The atmosphere was uncomfortable, with tension and negative energy from staff instead of a welcoming feeling. Basic hospitality seemed absent, and some employees acted unprofessionally and seemed not to care about the guests’ experience. Management also felt disorganized: requests were ignored, communication was difficult, and service was chaotic.

The restaurant ruined what was otherwise a great hammam and massage visit. The property itself is beautiful, large, luxurious, and well maintained. My wife and I spent about 90 minutes between the hammam and relaxing oil massages with two different therapists. They were respectful, explained each step, and we were both very happy with that service. Highly recommend the hammam. While waiting, we sat in the restaurant and ordered food after staff said it would take at most 10 minutes. We only got the soup, so we said we’d come back later and asked them not to bring the burger. After our two-hour massage, they made us go to the restaurant and eat the cold chicken burger that had been sitting for two hours. I told the female manager or staff member I didn’t want it and wanted something else, but she wouldn’t even let me read the menu. I’d seen that same burger in the kitchen two hours earlier. We paid for a burger menu we hadn’t wanted from the start. It made me feel scammed at a 5-star riad 😅. Hammam: 5/5. Restaurant: 1/5. Please avoid the restaurant.

Even though the weather was too cold and rainy to enjoy the terrace, we went up to watch a sunset. The restaurant was terrific, and the riad itself is gorgeous and well located. We were a family of four adults staying at Riad Laaroussa during Christmas week, and the staff looked after all our needs, sometimes before we even knew we had them. One of us had a bad cold and had to miss a day of touring. Staff brought medicine from the pharmacy, delivered meals to the room, and made sure he was comfortable. If we get back to Fes, we’ll absolutely stay at Laaroussa again. It would be impossible to improve on our visit.

The staff were incredibly helpful. After we checked out early, our flight was canceled and we were stuck at the airport. I called the Riad manager, who quickly arranged a ride from the airport to the train station. I can’t thank him enough. This is a beautiful historic property, over 300 years old, with luxurious, spacious rooms and modern amenities. Breakfast and dinner were both amazing, though you should reserve a dinner table in advance. The location is great, within a 15-minute walk of almost everything. There are lots of stairs to climb, and an elevator was still being installed.