Illustrative photo of the region — the property's own gallery is on the booking page.

Grand Andalusian-Moorish palace in the medina with a wine bar overlooking the whole ancient city.

Riad Fès stitches several grand houses into one Relais & Châteaux property, and moving between its courtyards is a tour of Fassi decorative style in itself — carved plaster, cedar, marble and zellige at a palace scale rare even in Fes.

The terraces and bar look across the entire medina, an ocean of rooftops and minarets that at dusk justifies the room rate by itself. The old city's labyrinth starts at the door; guided or not, you can walk to the great madrasas and the Kairaouine in minutes and retreat to a swimming pool and proper cocktail afterwards.

Why we picked it

• Spectacular Andalusian-Moorish courtyards and salons
• A bar and terraces overlooking the rooftops of the whole medina
• Relais & Châteaux service standards inside the old city