Lonely Planet Review

No prizes for interior decor here. There ain't no homespun carpets or fancy bedspreads in Fès's Youth Hostel, just pine beds and bunks with a woollen blanket and sheet. It's plain, it's functional and it's freezing in winter (bring a hot water bottle), but it's still the best youth hostel in Morocco.

It is also very, very cheap, reassuringly clean and efficiently run by Abdul, who's overseen the place for 20 years. There are separate shower facilities for men and women and Western-style toilets. Usually men and women have separate rooms but this doesn't always happen when it's busy and if you're with a group they're happy to let you share. The rooms range from doubles/twins through triples and quads right up to large seven-person dorms. A simple breakfast is included in the price. The down-sides: they don't take bookings for individual travellers, there's no locker space and no cooking allowed in the kitchen (though plates and cutlery are provided) and there's hot water in the mornings only so you might need to check out the Douche el-Kairouan nearby. Also, the 22:00 curfew is strict so you'll need to be home early.