Lonely Planet Review

Once the pleasure-dome of a late 19th-century grand vizier to the Sultan, Fès's swankiest hotel is set in cascading Andalucian gardens with breathtaking views over the medina. Opened as a hotel in 1930, it is a venerable institution combining lavish facilities with an air of old-world class.

If money isn't an issue you'll want to be in the original palace, where Jamaï commissioned the finest mallems (master craftsmen) to execute a mass of frothy stucco-work and intricate, zig-zagging zellij tiling. OK, so the 1970s wing can't really compare but the rooms are still comfortable with a capital C. Wide beds with marshmallow-soft pillows, balconies with garden views and European furnishings with a Moroccan twist. But the real luxury is the space. There's acres of it - the lobby is the size of most mid-range riads (traditional townhouses) and there's also a big pool and two tennis courts. The Moroccan restaurant (open only in the evening), also part of the original palace, is possibly one of the most beautiful places to dine in Fès.