Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

The Bensouda palace, rescued from ruin

Palais Faraj was originally the Bensouda palace, built at the end of the 19th century by Si Mohamed Bensouda, head of a large family of the Fez bourgeoisie. He was a cadi (judge), taught at the Quaraouiyine and advised the king. His family lived in the Ziat district, on the south-western flank of the medina, in a street that still bears its name, Derb Bensouda: a palace with its stables, and seven adjoining riads and dars (small houses).

After 1912, when Fez lost its status as capital, many of the great Fassi families moved away; the palace was gradually abandoned and by 2000 it was a ruin. That year Driss Faceh, a Fez native born in 1947 who had known it as a child, bought it with his wife Evelyne. Founder of the Objectif Maroc network of travel agencies and long-time president of the Fez-Meknes Regional Tourism Council, he had also set up an association to safeguard the medina in 1990. The hotel opened in 2012.

Today the hotel brings together the palace, the former stables converted into suites and lounges, and three of the original seven riads. The restoration was entrusted to Jean-Baptiste Barian, an interior architect who worked for King Hassan II and with the decorator André Paccard; Driss Faceh also mentions his work at La Mamounia in Marrakech and the Michlifen in Ifrane. The maâlems (master craftsmen) restored the zouak, the paintings on wooden doors and ceilings, using egg-white binders as in the past, put back the original zellige or remade it with salvaged old materials, and re-carved the stucco (the gebs). The great patio is paved in marble and zellige; the pool is tiled in blue zellige, the blue of Fez.

On the ramparts, reached by car

This is the practical difference from the medina riads: Palais Faraj stands inside the 18 km of ramparts, but the owners bought an extra 3,000 m² of land so that cars can drive right up to the hotel. You step out of the taxi at the door with your luggage, and the hotel has its own secure car park.

Bab Ziat, close by, leads to the heart of the medina in about twenty minutes on foot. The balcony garden, planted with palm trees, looks out over the Borj Sud, one of the forts guarding the city, and the whole medina. The other side of this high position: every walk back ends with a climb.

Eight categories, real differences

The 31 suites fall into eight categories, and the differences between them are significant.

• Trendy Riad Room, about 27 m²: the entry level, in one of the annexe riads. Windows open onto a small patio or an alley; access is by stairs, with no lift, and the view is limited. For those who spend their days in town.
• Junior Suite: adds a sitting area, with painted cedar ceilings, zellige, stucco and marble.
• Deluxe Suite: larger, on the ground floor, overlooking the pool.
• Ambassador and Grand Ambassador Suites: separate living room and bedroom, bathroom with shower and bathtub; the Ambassador Suite can take extra beds for children.
• Family Suite, about 60 m²: an Ambassador Suite with a second bedroom that has its own bathroom and its own entrance, for four people.
• Grand Vizir Suite, about 85 m²: two large terraces facing the medina and the Borj Sud, whirlpool bath. For the view, this is the category to aim for.
• Royale Suite: the largest, with lounges, a study with stained-glass windows and a private terrace over the medina and the hills.

The hotel has two lifts; it is entirely non-smoking and does not accept pets.

Evenings on the rooftops

L'Amandier restaurant occupies the top of the palace, in three spaces: a dining room with large windows, a rooftop garden and a terrace. Chef Mohammed Achoual cooks the Arab, Berber and Jewish traditions of Fez alongside Mediterranean dishes, with produce from the region: Noor olive oil, ducks from the Aghbalou estate, cheeses from the Domaine de la Pommeraie. The menu changes every season. During Ramadan, L'Amandier serves a ftour menu, the meal that breaks the fast.

The Golden Bar, with Art Deco decor, opens from 7 pm to midnight local time, with a view over the medina: cocktails, wines and tapas. Afternoons are spent in the tea room on the great patio, by the 7 m by 14 m pool; the pool is also open to visitors with a 490-dirham package (10 am to 5 pm, sunbed, towels, one dish and water). A yoga terrace and a gym complete the picture, the gym being for hotel guests only.

The renovated Essencia Spa combines a Moroccan hammam with treatments by Botanika Marrakech, a brand using natural ingredients. It opens daily from 12 pm to 9 pm, last treatment at 8 pm, for guests and visitors alike.

Sabaro's view

For whom: couples and families who want the medina view, the pool and a hotel's service, without dragging their cases through the alleys.

Strengths: a palace restored by master craftsmen; car access to the door; the view from L'Amandier and the terraces; a genuine family suite.

Good to know: the Trendy Riad Room, the cheapest, is in an annexe with no lift and no view; the hotel is on the edge of the medina, so every return involves a climb; the pool and spa also welcome visitors.

Our advice: book at least a Deluxe Suite to stay in the palace itself, and a Grand Vizir if the view is the reason for the trip; reserve your table at L'Amandier for sunset.