There’s no finer example of Fes’s architectural opulence. The approximately 600-year-old house took seven years to restore, emerging as an impeccable, some might even say improved, version of its glorious former self. One of the first boutique hotels to open in the medina, it has been going strong for over a decade.
Located just off the iconic copper beaters souk on the Place Seffarine, where the Al Quaraouine Library and Mosque are also located – for many the most engaging part of the old city – it’s a five-minute walk from the nearest taxi drop off and handy for exploring the city’s best known sights such as the tanneries, the delightful neighbourhood that spins off around the Moulay Idriss mausoleum and the Attarine Souks.
Long, wildly romantic histories; soaring proportions richly detailed with Islamic motifs hand carved into plaster, which seems to reach for the heavens; hand-cut zellije tiles in muted shades of evergreen, mustard and cobalt blue – Fes is known as the city of artisans for good cause and nowhere is it more evident than when inside one of these stunning houses.
It’s appropriate then that manager-owners, Kate Kvalvik and Alaa Said, come from graphic design and architecture backgrounds respectively. They’ve been meticulously true to the original character of the house, restoring it in painstaking detail then furnishing it with classic furniture and textiles with a pared-back, Scandinavian eye. As such you have a space that feels lofty, yet comfortable, where the architecture really speaks for itself and every detail sings, and unusually, as a guest you are free to roam as if at home.
It’s common to find guests wandering through the kitchen while the evening meal is being prepared, to share drinks with fellow guests in the intimate kitchen garden before dinner. Likewise dinner and breakfast are communal affairs where folks share tales of their adventures.
Like most small old city hotels you won’t find swimming pools, spas or restaurant services. What you get instead is the ‘knowledge’ in the form of the couple’s deep knowledge of Islamic architecture and design and how it works within in the old city itself. Each of Alaa’s hand-drawn maps is worth a thousand of the printed version and he also offers fascinating tours of the house itself, pointing out fundamental aspects of Islamic design.
The guesthouse also hosts an annual, five-day Art of Islamic Pattern workshops for interested scholars.
Dar Seffarine has six, spacious suites, all uniquely decorated with furniture, carpets and other treasures that are true to the regional style, as well as luxuries like Egyptian cotton sheets and hand-beaten brass lanterns from the nearby souks. The two master suites have windows that look out over the river and across the old city to nearby Mount Zalagh, and benefit from masses of subtle.
Two courtyard rooms are perfect for anyone who struggles to get up the stairs, and the middle rooms have living areas suitable for roving families.
One of the highsubtles of staying at Dar Seffarine is dinner (for guests only), which is served family style with everyone gathered around one big table in the rooftop dining room. It’s cooked freshly every evening, often by Kate and Alaa themselves, who’ll frequently veer from the classic Moroccan dishes of their cook, ramping up the menu with punchy Iraqi stews or delicately spiced Asian curries.
Expect silky carrot and coconut soups, tender meatballs in rich tomato sauce perfumed by black limes – an Iraqi specialty – and chocolate mousse. Inevitably the conversation often drifts on long into the night. And don’t miss the opportunity to take a pot of mint tea to the roof at sunset as swallows duck and dive over the tanneries and the river.
There are two courtyard level bedrooms and access is fairly easy from the nearest vehicle drop off point (casual slopes as opposed to steps). The kitchen garden, also at ground level, means you have an accessible green space too, but the roof terrace would be very difficult to get to.
Yes, but like all riad-style houses noise travels so consideration of other guests is essential. The roof terrace is spectacular but several storeys up, so parents must keep an eye on infants at all times.
Trusted Tourism Brand
Incredible Experience