Much charm, intimacy and refinement are on offer at this beautiful family run riad in the old city of Fes.
ABOUT: Perched on a hillside, overlooking the ancient medina – and only a ten-minute walk from the main souks, and from its sister hotel, La Maison Bleue – Riad Maison Bleue is an exercise in effortless style. Charm, beauty, service and serenity are buzzwords, whilst good breakfasts are enticement alone.
ROOMS: Each resolutely individual, the 16 deluxe and two standard rooms here feel more private-house than hotel. All are air-conditioned, all have baths and all offer fully-fledged Moorish elegance – beautiful tiles, intricate plasterwork, stained glass windows – plus free Wi-Fi. For extra privacy, quarters in the Pavillon de l’Astrolabe wing have access to two snoozy salons.
FACILITIES: Found in the central, leafy courtyard, a small (unheated) lap pool is refreshing after a day spent buying babouches and rummaging in rug shops. Those famous breakfasts are served here too, while Moroccan-style dinners are taken on the rooftop terraces beneath the moonlight. There’s a spa and small fitness room, and a bar.
EXTRA INFO: The riad’s friendly and extremely accommodating staff can arrange medina guides, plus excursions to Meknes (aka ‘Fes Lite’), Volubilis and the nearby cedar forests to see Barbary apes. The hotel’s Maison Cordon Bleu culinary school invites guests to shop with chef Tariq in the local food markets before learning to cook specialities such as tagines and pastilla (pigeon pie). ‘Epicurean Experiences’ combine cookery classes with winery visits and seasonal excursions, such as orange-blossom water-making.
The Lawrence of Morocco map displays the locations of the destinations and accommodation that we have selected and visited; for each item, hovering over or clicking the marker will display a short summary and photo of that place or hotel, and hotel pricing. Follow the links in the info box to the full page listing which has much more information.
Note that the online map offers both a satellite view (click satellite in the top right) and, for some locations, a street level view (Drag the person in the top left onto the map). These let you explore the country; and when you wish to explore in person, or if you have any questions about the places you see, give our staff a call, or request a quote. Our staff regularly visit the places and accommodation that we feature.
When you book a holiday with us we will provide full driving instructions for reaching your accommodation, where necessary; these can be used by yourself, or you could enjoy the luxury of a driver. Alternatively we will arrange private (car rather than coach) transfers for you; helicopter transfers are also possible for some destinations.
We really know Morocco and have had the pleasure of making many people's dream trips become reality over the years. It has been our privilege to be asked to manage holidays, weddings and productions for so many fantastic and discerning clients. We remain small and dedicated to providing excellent honest advice to enable you to sit back, relax and enjoy the fun bits without having to manage the unpredictability of this fascinating country.
If you want it done right, look no further!
