Riads and Dars, part 3

This is the last of a series of posts which document our experiences in several traditional moroccan hotels, known as riads or dars. The earlier posts are here and here.

In Fes, we tried to stay in Riad Fes but it was fully booked. The riad is situated in the medina and guests are expected to find it by following discreet signposts like the one below. Generally, a guide is absolutely required when you first arrive at the edge of the medina with luggage.

In a densely populated medina, the riad architecture with few external-facing windows makes the entrance to the property very difficult for visitors to find in the myriad of alleyways, all bounded by high featureless walls with few identifiable landmarks.

It took us a while to find the hotel, even with the help of maps and several days of experience in wandering in the medina.

This riad is thoroughly modernized and met the international 4-5 stars status. The property is associated with the Relais & Châteaux network which have helped push their standards to match the marketing.

We had pre-dinner drinks at the rooftop terrace which afforded us a great view of the city of Fes and the distant Atlas mountains.

With lots of outdoor spaces on the roof, the guests are high above the noise and the crowds in the medina. The exterior of the building is modern except the green-tiled awnings and the outline of the windows.

A tiny escalator took us up to the roof terrace from the reception area. After our drinks, we walked down and stopped by the balcony on the first floor.

All the architectural elements around the reception area are meticulously restored. The guest rooms are also accessible from the balcony.

View from the balcony overlooking the reception area with a small grand piano.

Dinner was very good with modernized Moroccan dishes, and our meal was accompanied by an Oud musician. The dining room is modernized and we suspect the guest rooms are too. Without looking outside the window, we would not have known that this was Fes.

In Ouarzazate, we stayed one night at Dar Chamaa, arriving late in the day and just in time for dinner. This three-storey property is a fake dar, constructed recently and to cater to foreign tourists.

The hotel copied the plan of a dar. There was a small water feature (a ditch if one is mean about it) in the middle surrounded by colonnaded balconies. There were no traditional decorations (e.g., stucco) or form (such as an arch, except the lobby level). That’s being modern and efficient.

The hotel was comfortable. We had a good night of sleep after the long distance road trip. Ouarzazate is an oasis town, confirmed by the view from our balcony, which was just water and palm trees.  It preserved our touristic notion of being at an oasis. As the hotel is located at the edge of the town, we never saw the modern Ouarzazate center.

Our lodging in Essaouira – Madada Mogador – is situated above or adjacent to a riad.  The layout of the building had been modified to accommodate two businesses –  a hotel where we were and a massage and well-being establishment that took over the ground floor, including the courtyard and fountain.

With natural sunlight, the atrium was calm and pleasant.

A balustraded balcony circles the atrium overlooking the small fountain.

We booked one of the loft suite for the three of us.  The suite provided a double-level living space, a modern kitchen, and two separate sleeping areas, separately accessed by a spiral staircase or a set of open stairs.

One reason we booked this hotel was the view. We were not disappointed. Outside our window is the rampart of the old fort, and we could walk out to see the Atlantic Ocean.

If you are interested in the riads and dars we visited earlier, see Part 1 and 2 here and here.