Highlights
- Central Medina location
- Friendly welcome & relaxed atmosphere
- Arty, eclectic style
- Beautiful ruined garden restaurant
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Located in the heart of Fes, Riad Idrissy offers an arty, bohemian base from which to explore the ancient Medina.
A project of two friends (John and Robert) Riad Idrissy first opened its doors in 2012 after a 6 year restoration. Careful, sympathetic work has brought the 400 year old riad back to life, it’s now a celebration of traditional Fes style - think beautiful mosaics, tilled walls and intricate carvings combined with contemporary touches and stylish object d’art.
The Riad has an intimate atmosphere with just 5 rooms, all of which are en-suite with air-conditioning. Each has a nod towards luxury with rain drench showers, mist free mirrors and high quality bedding and bath sheets. Mensah, located on the roof terrace, is huge and can easily fit a family of four. It should be said that its bathroom is on the smaller size and probably the least impressive of the lot but don’t let this put you off, it’s a lovely choice especially for younger families and represents great value for money.
For relaxing there is a small roof terrace and sitting room with balcony on the middle floor. There’s also a cosy salon on the ground floor which really comes into its own in the cooler winter months.
The Riad does lack a plunge pool, which can be important for families in the summer, but all is not lost as instead you have the ruined garden restaurant. Attached to Riad Idrissy, the garden is set in the foot print of an ancient Riad. Here you’ll find a rambling garden with Triffid like plants growing in large pots, shady terraces and secluded seating areas. The vivid greens combined with the eclectic mix of pretty table cloths create a slightly surreal yet incredibly charming atmosphere. Breakfast is served here and you have the garden all to yourself until opening time at 12. You also can choose to eat lunch or dinner here; the menu is traditional Moroccan street food during the day and modern Moroccan in the evening. Meals are reasonably priced but please note that alcohol is not served.
Both Robert and John spent many years working in hospitality (they met whilst working at The Ivy restaurant in London) and their customer service experience shows through, from the warm welcome and complementary mineral water to the thoughtful ‘wake up’ hampers (containing tea and coffee) which are left outside your room each morning.
Wifi is available throughout the Riad.
Fes
- Colourful mosaics
- Mediterranean garden
- Swimming pool
- Interconnecting rooms
Fes
- Stylish rooms
- Central Medina location
- Beautiful views of the city
- Fabulous reviews
Fes
- Characterful guest house
- Simple, charming rooms
- Welcoming hosts
- Beautiful orchard setting
We had a wonderful trip to Morocco. What a fascinating country. Thank you so much for all of your help making things smooth and less stressful!
Here are a few things we wanted to pass on:
Dar Housnia was absolutely delightful. It was like an entire wing of a house to ourselves with perfect Moroccan decor. The private area where we ate was so cute, the riad staff so accommodating. I loved waking in the cozy space with our family and hearing both call to prayer as well as roosters. Just perfect.
I was a little unclear how to ask what time we were being picked up etc, but your office promptly replied to my emails - even on weekends- when we had these questions about transport times. Once, we met our guide in Imlil these details we not problematic as our guide “Abraham” totally took care of us. Abraham was awesome. You should definitely request him again in the future. He was young (29)and energetic. He had a ton of hiking experience in Imlil as he was from there. He also seemed to know everything else about morocco, the desert, the culture, etc, etc. He was approachable, kind, patient, great with our kids and answered SO MANY of our questions.
The hike was lovely - after rain the day prior in Marrakech - there was snow in the mountains. It was gorgeous. We may have been up for a longer hike up Mt Taboukel if I had known this was a realistic option for families ( I thought from reading that it was too technical for us). Yet not sure we had enough days for all these things always since getting in the desert was a priority.
The mountain house, Dar adar, was just as described… very basic. The wifi was broken (which was a nice break when you have pre-teens addicted to phones, plus my husband called no wifi an amenity to not be available by email for his work!)). There was no heat and the fireplace helped a tad - but was so very cold in the rooms. My husband loved the rustic space, I may have gone up one step in niceness of mountain accommodation if I had to do it over again. Yet, meeting the other families in this Dar Adar (including another Tourdust family from England) made this house very memorable.
We were then joined by our driver for the next several days, Jamal. What a fun guy and a perfect driver. He could joke with my kids, he had a fun smile, and he had worked with Abraham before so they were a great team. The drive to desert was long as I knew it would be. It was nice to have the stop on way there near Ait Ben Haddu. The drive back from desert was long. It was more near 10 hours of driving (plus 1 hour at lunch = 11 hours) but I wouldn’t have made any different choices.
The luxury desert camp was far and away the highlight of our trip. The tents were adorable, I was sufficiently warm even at night inside the tent. We loved the camel riding, the ATV vehicles at a nearby camp, sunsets on the dunes, music around the camp fire, meals with others at the camp and more.
The last night was at Riad Jona. This was so very very lovely. The food was amazing - such a good idea to eat here after our long drive back to Marrakech. They had a small dining pool plus a hot tub which was delightful. It was almost more of a boutique hotel as it had several rooms.
Gwyneth R
reviewing Luxury Family Desert Holiday
on 11 December 2018
The trek was fab, really enjoyed it! Was definitely a challenge but one worth doing. Our Guide Mohammed was excellent, took care of our needs, patient and went at a suitable pace for us. Ali, the muleteer and cook made us the most remarkable dishes and such large quantities, we felt bad for leaving so much food.....was enough for six people or more.
The refuges provided us a great place to stay....the first one was very quiet only another couple staying there, whilst the next was much busier and was a fab way to meet new people.
We were really pleased we made it to the summit, it felt like a great achievement.
I don’t think I would change any part of it.
Thank you, to you and your partners in Morrcco, will recommend you to anyone who wishes to follow in my footsteps.
Louise D
reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal
on 29 August 2018
The walking in the mountains was a fantastic experience, helped by our perfect guide Ibrahim. He was intelligent, kind, cheerful and looked after us very well. He could answer all our questions on flora, fauna, geology, history and local culture. He walked at a steady phase that suited all and made sure everyone was happy. We could not have asked for more.
Our favourite place to stay was the Azzaden trekking lodge where we were welcomed warmly with slippers, dates, milk and a hand wash. The food was excellent and the breakfast was very impressive. The hospitality of Mohamed was second to none. The view from the balcony was amazing and when it got dark the stars came out in their millions. ( we did however not manage to find out in which bed Daniel Craig had slept).
When we reached Kasbah Toubkal the weather had turned cold and wet so we could not enjoy the roof terrace and the outdoor area.
Riad Tzara was excellent and Naima, Khadija, Abdul and Mohamed looked after our every need. We had dinner one night on the roof of Dar Hanane where the view over the city was great. We also liked the cozy roof terrace in Riad Tzara where the perfect temperature was in the afternoon after escaping from the noises and fumes of the Medina.
Inga O
reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Comfort Trek
on 27 February 2018
The highlights for us were the accommodation choices - we loved each place we stayed and for quite different reasons.
We found the food really delicious at all the places. We were really impressed. We ended up eating dinner every night at Dar Housnia, which was really tasty but a bit expensive but we loved the convenience of it and loved everything else about the place.
My 9yr’s favourite place was Douar Samra - he liked the rooms and all the meals. We all like the communal meals there. It was good to get to know other travellers. But my husband and I really loved the Douria Suite at Dar Housnia as it was great to the have space and down time by ourselves there. We spent some hours just lazing on the terrace after walking around Marrakech for hours.
We also thought Kasbah Ellouze was really lovely too. They were super helpful accommodating the kids. They made sure we could celebrate NYE dinner with the kids as they go to bed early. It was really kind of them.
We had a Hussain as our guide for trekking and he went with us on the road trip. We really liked him: friendly & kind, and not too loud & talkative (our family is on the quiet side!). Hussain was great with our two boys. He made them feel comfortable, kept them safe on the treks (ie speed walking ahead with them when they wanted (our 4yr old loved this!) and holding them securely on mules over the rough terrain) and he played football with them too!
We had two different drivers who were both good - helped out when our 9yr old vomited from car sickness and were happy to drive slowly as needed.Also we thought your organisation of everything and choice of accommodation & guides was excellent. We had no complaints. We had a splendid, relaxed and easy holiday - we didn’t have to think of anything & it was all great.
Helen N
reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Kasbahs, Mountains & Souks
on 30 January 2018
We travel to enjoy the sites and sounds, the food and the culture so we like to leave all the planning and organizing to a good tour company and from our first interaction I knew we had found a really great one. Jayne promptly answered all our questions and easily adjusted the standard offering to accommodate our specific schedule. From there on everything worked like clockwork and exactly as promised exceeding our every expectation. Payment was simple, and the thoughtful, well-documented pre-travel package of information, guidance, tips and suggestions that accompanied the booking confirmation was excellent.
On arrival in Marrakech we were met at the airport right on time where Ibrahim kindly provided water, local treats and a comfortable drive to our first night's accommodations which was comfortable and warm and the food excellent. Along the way all accommodation were exactly as described and equally comfortable and accommodating. We were met as promised on the first morning by our guide, Rashid who was the perfect host for our 4 day trek: helpful, friendly and accommodating without being in any way pushy or crowding and happy to answer any and all questions in perfect English. The stunning scenery and fascinating villages made for perfect trekking and each day was well-timed and challenging without being too strenuous, not too short and not too long.
And then there was the food along the way! Ahmed ingeniously produced delicious, nutritious, hearty meals every morning and every evening in the kitchen of the gites where we stayed and somehow, amazingly, out in the open in the beautiful spots where every day we had lunch - seriously good food, well beyond our expectations for a mountain trek.
Transport to Marrakech was smooth and simple and our stay there excellent. Riad Tzarra is exactly as promised: beautiful and comfortable and charming with the most welcoming and accommodating staff one could possibly imagine. Ibrahim, Naeema and {oh, I forget her name!} catered to our every need with a smile and I wish we'd had more time there. I highly recommend taking a breakfast or lunch at the Riad - both were excellent.
Tourdust is now #1 on our list for any future trekking vacations we have planned for any of the places served
Barry D
reviewing Classic Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek
on 04 December 2017
Everything worked perfectly! We all found our trekking experience to be the best part of our adventures in Morocco. We were particularly pleased with our guide, Hussain; he did a brilliant job. He is thoughtful, knowledgable, and sweet. He represents you well.
Jacob M
reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Comfort Trek
on 09 March 2017
Thanks for organising an excellent holiday for us. It's my first time using Tourdust and I've been really impressed and will certainly be recommending you to friends and family. You provided an excellent level of service all the way through, and the bespoke nature of the trip was fantastic whilst being really good value for money.
Key highlights:
- Le Kasbah de Toubkal blew us away - one not to miss!
- The trek was amazing and my kids loved it. The camping was really fun, the food was excellent, and I'd particularly call out our guide Rashid who was fantastic show especially with my kids.
- Riad Adore was outstanding - far exceeding my expectations - it was beautiful and we were very well looked after
- Le Doux Tour was luxurious and a nice relaxing way to end the holiday.
- Logistics were great and our main driver Mustapha was brilliantIf there was one build / thing I would change, it's a very small one but some candles / lanterns to use in the evening whilst camping would have made it easier to stay outside for a bit longer.
Mark D
reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains
on 07 June 2016
Truly another world. The sky was enormous and the summits snow covered. Blue irises, wild herbs and fruit trees flowered on the slopes. Even as I toiled up the dry river bed I gazed in admiration.
Without exception, everyone was courteous and welcoming. Food was good ( and far too plentiful); accommodation clean. Above all-everything worked! A pick-up was promised for 9.00am. At 8.55 the doorbell rang. Impeccable.
No praise is too high for the organisation and staff. I am definitely going back.
Terence H
reviewing Classic Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek
on 16 May 2016
We had the most fabulous trip, thank you. Everything you arranged went to plan perfectly and all your Moroccan contacts were efficient and pleasant to deal with. Our guide, Rashid, was super - we got along well with him and found it so interesting talking to him about his family, life at home and his hopes and expectations - and he had a great sense of humour which is always a bonus. How Hamed, our cook/muleteer managed to produce the meals he did, I have no idea - tasty, healthy, beautifully presented and more than plentiful. The last couple of days in Marrakech were, of course, a complete contrast to the trek but great fun too. So all in all, a great break and we've had no hesitation in recommending Tourdust already to our friends.
STEPHEN P
reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent
on 29 October 2015
Our trip was pretty much perfect. I really can't think of anything that could have been improved. The trip did require a slight change in schedule but it was great that our guide was flexible enough to arrange this. Thank you so much.
Steven M
reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent
on 29 October 2015
