Restorative Breaks at Palais Amani in Fez

• Independent Palais Amani is located in the heart of Fez’s UNESCO medina and home to an award-winning restaurant, cookery school and hammam 
• The art deco riad was partly rebuilt in the 1930s and totally refurbished by Jemima and Abdel Mann-Baha at the beginning of this century, opening in 2010
• Palais Amani offers several restorative breaks including Guided Walking, Moroccan Wine Tasting and Winery Excursion, Calligraphy Masterclass, Cookery Classes, Traditional Hammam and Hiking to the Fez Countryside
• Book Palais Amani exclusively or partly – 6, 12 and 18 room packages available ensuring ultimate privacy and the ideal way to reunite with family and friends 

Fez is Morocco’s second largest city but travellers wouldn’t know this as it remains one of Morocco’s  quieter holiday destinations. But this is one of the city’s most attractive sides making it an authentic destination where luxury is affordable and tourism valued. A break here is sure to be a cultural adventure starting with the UNESCO Heritage medina. The interconnected mass of souks is where the stunning art deco Palais Amani is located. The independent hotel offers several restorative breaks like nowhere else, all created by owners, wife and husband team Jemima and Abdel. 

Palais Amani showcases the finest authentic and traditional Moroccan decoration. A large garden of 600m2 is at the centre of the palace filled with orange trees where birds, permanent residents here, provide the birdsong in this tranquil haven. This art deco riad has been frequently updated and modernised by Jemima and Abdel. It is now Fez´s leading independent hotel. 

5 Hour or 3 Hour Guided Walks with Palais Amani
10,000 streets and alleys all full of history, places to explore, dine and snack at. But where to begin in Africa’s largest medina? One of the best ways to get a feel for this UNESCO Medina is to visit with a local guide. Only approved guides can show visitors around, largely since the medina is so big. A local guide will accompany visitors on a half day or full day tour of this magical medina and introduce guests to hidden gems. Guests will visit places only a local knows about and encounter residents (around 180,000 live inside the medina). Priced €50 for 5 hours based on two guests.

Moroccan Wine Tasting and Winery Excursion with Palais Amani
The main destination for a variety of vineyards is around the Meknes region, visitors can fly directly to Fez. The vineyards here are built around the stunning sunny slopes of the Middle Atlas Mountains. A wonderful option is to combine a foodie stay in Fez with an excursion to Meknes. A day outing to a local winery, with guided tour of the vines and cellars, including wine tasting is priced €195 per person. 

Calligraphy Masterclass with Palais Amani
Palais Amani invites travellers to discover ancient Arabic during a masterclass on the roof terrace. The two hour personalised initiation to the fascinating art of calligraphy is hosted by one of the most renowned calligraphers in Fez. 

Cookery Class and Medina Tour at the Fez Cooking School at Palais Amani
The Fez Cooking School offers visitors to Fez a unique insight into this magical city combining a foodie tour of the medina followed by a cookery class, all in a new purpose-built cookery school on Palais Amani’s roof terrace. Private and group workshops are available and offer a wonderful hands-on experience including time in the medina and then cooking. The guest selects their desired recipes, or the Fez Cooking School suggest a selection of Fassi, Moroccan or Sephardic dishes. The experience includes a tour of the food souks, tasting food along a two-hour tour of the medina, a cooking class with the newly gathered ingredients and lunch. Priced €97 per person, four hours.

Traditional Hammam at Palais Amani
The hammam is designed in true Moroccan style complete with a hot room, an exfoliation room, separate showers and a luxury relaxation chamber. The ‘Royal Hammam’ treatment lasts 1 hour 15 minutes and transports guests into the ritual of purification not found outside of this fascinating country. The experience begins with a hand and footpath, then hand and foot scrub using natural rose water and scrub. After a hair mask using white clay ghassoul guests are then accompanied into the hot room for a black soap application and vigorous body scrub. A body mask and wrap is then followed by a gentle shampoo and body rinse. 

Hike to the Fez Countryside with Palais Amani
Leaving the medina behind and heading towards the countryside, an altogether different Fez is visible. A 30-minute drive with a chauffeur / guide gets guests to the Zalagh hillside. Over the next 3.5 hours guests will experience Berber life where many here are completely self-sufficient using the land. A leisurely hike allows guests to stop and embrace the stunning views of the entire ancient city of Fez in the distance and the surrounding landscapes including the Sebou Valley, Rif Mountains and Sais Plains. Half-way through the hike and under some pine trees a Moroccan picnic is served. Priced €195.00 per person includes transport, guide and picnic and chilled water.        

The Imperial City of Fez has stood in the north of Morocco for 1,200 years. Walking inside the walls it’s easy to see its history; out of the four major Moroccan cities, this is easily the one that has the strongest connection to the past. A fourteenth century mosque stands close to a Moorish estate built in the 1700s. Mourners trek daily into the ornate tomb of Moulay Idriss II and the oldest continuously operating university in the world, al-Karaouine, lies in the north-east of the city. 

Each of the 18 bedrooms and suites is completely different both in design and layout. The Classic Rooms are cosy offering discreet views of the garden or medina. The second category of rooms is the Luxury Rooms, which combine a seating area and bedroom with stunning large windows and doors. The Junior Suites have a master bedroom, elegant salon and bathroom and can accommodate an extra bed so can sleep up to three. The Senior Suites offer an additional single room and the minimum dimensions are from 45m2 and include a salon and dedicated dressing area. Finally, The Grand Suite; this unique splendid room covers the whole 100 sq./m of the south wing. The suite includes a salon, a his and hers dressing room, spectacular bathroom and includes breath-taking views of the gardens and hills beyond. All rooms have their own fragrance and feature local beauty products and a selection of water and wines. Room service is also available.

A perfect spot to enjoy the sunshine or read a book or enjoy a cocktail before dinner by the bar. The roof terrace offers wonderful views of Fez and has many quiet corners with sun loungers and larger seating areas. A rooftop bar is open throughout the day and in the evening; there are cocktails to enjoy.

Just three hours from London, Fez is becoming one of the leading cultural destinations for restorative breaks. 

www.palaisamani.com 12 Derb el Miter, Oued Zhoune, Fes Medina, 30000, Morocco