Riad Rayhana

After a day exploring the medina, it was easy to unwind in the calm, welcoming atmosphere. The staff were attentive and very friendly, always there when we needed something and making me feel at home from the start. Riad Rayhana is beautifully decorated in an authentic Moroccan style, with details that reflect Fes and its culture. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city for a comfortable stay and genuine Moroccan hospitality.

We were extremely disappointed with this stay and ended up leaving after one night for another place that cost only a little more per night but was significantly better. We were fortunate to have the resources to find somewhere else. It was the only disappointing hotel experience we’ve had with booking.com over the years, despite our other stays through the site being excellent. At first, Omar was kind. He contacted us before we arrived to arrange transport from the train station, then helped carry our bags from the taxi to Riad Rayhana Fes. After that, though, he kept talking at us with information we neither needed nor wanted while we were trying to settle in and go out. The room was tiny and not really suited to two people. It had a queen bed, but there was almost no room to move around it or manage our luggage comfortably. The bathroom was squeezed into a corner with no ventilation. It was the same height as my partner, who felt claustrophobic in it. The sheets were rough and pilled. Toiletries had been promised, but there was only shampoo and no hand soap. We could hear the neighbors easily, too. At checkout, the staff seemed annoyed and almost combative. We only wanted to pay and leave, and weren’t asking for a refund. Omar then spent a long time explaining how he’d fix things if he could, but couldn’t because they were fully booked. We had to say again that we just wanted to pay and go before he stopped talking and let us do that. We also suspect many booking.com reviews were fraudulent. Some reviews supposedly from native English speakers in the USA, Canada, and Australia were written in broken English with poor spelling, punctuation, and grammar. They described big rooms, cleanliness, amazing staff, and toiletries that didn’t match what we found. There was nothing spacious about the room, stairway, or lobby. We worry the operators may be posting fake reviews and inflating the rating, which damages trust in booking.com’s review system. We believe this hotel cost us valuable time and money, and that the site should monitor and regulate this kind of abuse.

Omar was incredibly kind. He made sure we could find the place after our airport taxi ride, and his recommendations were spot on. Breakfast was good too. In short, he helped make our time in Fes awesome. If you see him, please say hi from me.

Omar gave us such useful directions at check-in that we managed to navigate the medina maze without getting lost. The breakfasts were beautiful and delicious, and the building is a delight to look at. This place is a real gem in the medina, not far from the Blue Gate, with incredible service. Can I give it ten stars? Do yourself a favor and stay as long as you can.