Fez, MoroccoTalaa
Palais Faraj Suites & Spa
Restored Fassi palace
Restored Fassi palace
This nineteenth-century aristocratic estate looks out across the medina, trading tight riad quarters for grand arcaded courtyards.
“With its carved arches, intricate tilework, and marble swaths, the scenic Palais Faraj feels like it’s from another time.”
What it’s good at
Notable
A restored nineteenth-century palace once belonging to the prominent Bensouda family.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Also in Condé Nast Traveler and AFAR.
Set on a hillside above and overlooking the medina, Palais Faraj is no ordinary hotel — the word ‘palais’ here is not aspirational but frankly descriptive.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
The hotel stands at Bab Ziat on the medina's edge, just above the car-free labyrinth of Fes El Bali.
The rooms
Suites are dressed in vibrant rugs and stained-glass accents, set within original palace chambers and converted stables.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
The seven-by-fourteen-meter swimming pool sits in the central Grand Patio, bordered by sun loungers and orange trees.
The spa and gym
The traditional steam hammam uses rhassoul clay and black soap beneath vaulted arches, beside treatment rooms and a mirrored gym.
The Golden Bar
Styled with Art Deco touches to evoke a vintage ocean liner, the bar looks out across the illuminated medina.
We booked a suite at Palais Faraj and found it to be a lovely and luxurious place to unwind and very accessible to all the major sites.
At the table
At L’Amandier, contemporary Mediterranean and Fassi dishes are served beside floor-to-ceiling windows and out on the panoramic rooftop terrace.
How it began
Fez native Driss Faceh bought the ruined Bensouda estate in 2000, naming the restored palace after his father, Si Faraji.
Fez
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.