Hotel Sahrai

Above the medina, outside it

Hotel Sahrai opened in 2014 on the Dhar El Mehraz hill, at Bab Lghoul, between the medina and the new town. It is the address in our Fez selection that stands outside the ramparts, and the only one conceived as a contemporary hotel: the other four are riads or palaces inside the medina. The Michelin Guide described it at its opening as "a riad alternative"; the hotel itself claims a middle ground between the shady seclusion of the riads and the anonymity of the big resorts.

The project belongs to Anis Sefrioui, a Fez businessman and son of the architect Chakir Sefrioui, owner of Riad Fès: the two houses are sister properties. The hotel stands on the site of the former summer palace of Marshal Lyautey, France's Resident General in Morocco from 1912 to 1925, and takes up the motif of the great arches that once adorned its façade. Its name comes from the Moroccan word for magic.

The position changes the way you see Fez. From the pool and the rooftop, the medina spreads out below, with the Mellah and the royal palace a little further on. You visit it by day, then look at it in the evening. The flip side: you cannot step out into an alley; a free shuttle makes the trip.

Christophe Pillet's architecture

The French architect and designer Christophe Pillet, who had led the extension of Riad Fès in 2011, designed the whole project, building and interiors. He describes it as "contemporary without being outrageously design". The common thread is limestone from Taza, which shifts from ochre to grey with the light; it is joined by zellige pools, carved plaster, Fez ceramics and copper lanterns. The furniture was created for the hotel: Christophe Pillet's Sahrai line is now produced by the Italian firm Living Divani.

The rooms follow the same line: large picture windows, warm grey tones, an ochre leather headboard, a marble bathroom with glass walls that sheer curtains can conceal.

Choosing a room by its view

The 50 rooms come in four categories, all for two people, and the view is what sets them apart. Deluxe rooms face east over a district undergoing major change, with no medina view; Superior rooms, the largest, look out over the medina and the Mellah. For a first stay in Fez, aim for a Superior: the medina view is the whole point of the hotel. The Sahrai Suite, the only suite, adds a lounge and a terrace over the medina.

An evening address

Sahrai is also one of the places Fez goes out. The rooftop bar, Salon Lyautey, suits a glass of Moroccan wine by the fire. Jungle, decorated in green and gold, serves Lebanese cuisine, wines and cocktails every day from 7 pm to 2 am local time, with a terrace over the city. Medusa offers Italian cooking, wood-fired pizzas and handmade pasta; Amaraz, Moroccan cuisine in a large beamed dining room, with a lute player; Arcades, a white marble bar beneath the arches, for lunch, tea or a light dinner.

The spa, designed with the brands Cinq Mondes and marocMaroc, includes a traditional hammam; it opens from 1 to 9 pm. An "afternoon hammam" package at 550 dirhams is available from 1 to 4 pm; cancellations must be made 24 hours ahead. The panoramic infinity pool stays in the sun all day, and the gym is equipped with Technogym machines.

The concierge arranges outings around Fez: Volubilis, Moulay Idriss and Meknes, Sefrou and the cave dwellings of Bhalil, the Middle Atlas, Taza and Jebel Tazzeka, the thermal springs of Moulay Yacoub, an organic goat farm, cooking and calligraphy classes.

Sabaro's view

For whom: couples and friends who prefer a contemporary hotel to a riad, travellers who want to dine and go out on site, families arriving by car.

Strengths: the view over the whole medina from the pool and the rooftop; Christophe Pillet's architecture; four restaurants and two bars; car access.

Good to know: the hotel is outside the ramparts, and the medina is reached by shuttle; Deluxe rooms have no medina view; the glass-walled bathrooms close off with sheer curtains, which suits couples better; the rooftop and Jungle are lively in the evening.

Our advice: combine the family's two addresses, two nights at Riad Fès in the medina and two nights at Sahrai for the view and the pool.