Palais Amani, Medina Fez, Morocco.

Located within the walls of Fez’s ancient Medina, Palais Amani is a traditional palace that has been lovingly restored into a five-star boutique hotel.

As soon as you walk through the doors, you are transported to another dimension; the contrast between the bustle outside and the tranquil haven within is breathtaking. The sound of the soothing central fountain and the chatter of birds in the garden, transports you to a paradise unmatched for a romantic getaway.

Thanks to the uniqueness of our historic listed building each room is different, yet the quality is the same throughout: exquisite Moroccan pastries await the guests in their room, the bathrooms are decorated with fresh rose petals making a perfect setting for a romantic break. At night the whole palace bathes in candle light and you can dine beneath the citrus trees before retiring to your bedroom and slipping into the Egyptian cotton bed linen under soft down duvets.

Palais Amani has a rich history, apparent in the architecture of the property: from the Iraqi stained-glass windows to the Moroccan tiling. And this history colours everything we offer: the ingredients at the Eden Restaurant and rooftop bar; the rituals and products we use at the Hammam; our storytelling evenings, courses in calligraphy and wine tasting. At our Fez Cooking School, you can learn all about Moroccan and Sephardic cuisine that you can recreate back at home.

We are now a 21-room, 50-staff, family-run property and pride ourselves in being the local choice. We are passionate about preserving the city’s heritage and giving back to the community:

We look forward to welcoming and sharing stories with you in Fez soon.

History:

Parts of the palace date back to the 17th century but in 1928 there was a landslide and a large part of the old palace was damaged.

The owner at the time, from a branch of the Lahlou family, one of the major Fassi families still prevalent in Morocco today, spent two years rebuilding the palace using modern building techniques and fashion trends of the time. This explains the art deco touches in the building and the lack of heavy carved wooden ceilings typical of many palaces in Fez.

The Lahlou family were merchants with links between Manchester UK and Fez dealing in materials. The building remained property of the Lahlou family until 2006 although by then many of the 50 members who had once lived together in the property in traditional Riad style had moved out.

When the current owners discovered the property in 2006 a housekeeper and family were living in one room and the majority of the property had been empty for over 30 years. The current owners (another Anglo/Moroccan partnership) bought the very tired building in 2006 and Palais Amani underwent a rigorous three- and half-year period of renovation.

In restoring the building between 2006-10, the lighting and furniture was designed with this in mind, and the end result is an elegant mix of traditional and modern.

Today it is almost impossible to tell which parts of the building were in a sad state of repair thanks to the methods of renovation that are still part of this city’s heritage.

Jemima Mann Baha, Co Founder