Dars and riads are traditional Moroccan houses.  Many have been renovated and converted into guest houses and hotels and they make beautiful places to stay. They are often small, full of charm, character, Moroccan decor and are havens of peace from the busy streets of the main towns.  These houses are structured around a central courtyard (the roof of which is often open-air). Rooms are off to the sides.

We stayed in Dar Melody, which is in the medina in Fes. Feeling overwhelmed about where to stay we simply went on tripadvisor, looked at the top recommendations, called up the first one, luckily they had a room available and a bus ride later we were there. They sent a driver to meet us at the bus station, then Laurence (one of the owners) came to meet the car (cars cannot drive into the medina itself) and guided us in on foot. And I’m really glad she did, we wouldn’t have found it ourselves, tucked away as it was, it would have been easy to miss,but it was definitely worth it.

The French couple who bought, restored and run this 300 hundred-year-old dar have a real gem.  The attention to detail in every facet of the place makes it a delightful place to stay. Each room has a colour theme.  The rooms are spacious enough to have sleeping and living ends. Bathroom shower gels and soaps are all in Moroccan pots and all the furnishings and decorations are locally sourced.  Moroccan oil in burners mean that it even smells divine!

Each day for breakfast the napkins and matching decorative beads are changed to a different colour theme. Breakfast was two kinds of fruit, coffee or tea (huge range of tea types), eggs, different breads and delicious spreads.  In regards to T. they put in a cot, baby bath (which she loved), found some toys and prepared chocolate milk in the morning for her. They organised guides for us and advised us on where to go and what to do.  I could keep going, but I will let the pictures speak too!

Here are some of the photos we took of this beautiful dar.

View from one of our room windows of the dining area in the centre of the house

Our room. The Orange Room, seen from the doorway.

Our room, view from other end

Our bathroom, with alcove leading to the shower in the back

Relaxing on the roof terrace

Breakfast table

Enjoying breaksfast

Lovely alcove off the central hall

The only downsides to Dar Melody were that it was at the edge of the medina so we did a lot of walking (not always ideal with a sleeping toddler in your arms).  The other downer was that as it really is a guest house rather than a hotel, the only meal they provide is breakfast, meaning that we had to go out again in the evenings for dinner. During ramadan and with a toddler we didn’t find this to be brilliant. The only ‘near by’ restaurant is a good 10 minutes walk away along small lanes. Not idea for us, but that was our particular situation.

Staying in a dar or riad (riads normally have a fountain in the central courtyard) gives you a very personalised accommodation experience that the big chains cannot offer. Since there are thousands in Morocco, they are not hard to find, the only difficulty would be – which one to choose!

Tips:

Check rates before you book – they vary greatly depending on the services available and also the season. Ask about discounts in low season.

Do check the locations and facilities, Dar Melody had very steep stairs that might not have been suitable for some. And if you haven’t booked, ask to see a room first.

Go on recommendations as well as websites. If we had checked the website of Dar Melody first, I’m not sure we would have booked (the photos don’t do it justice) – our decision came from rave reviews on tripadvisor (also to be used with caution).

Links:

Dar Melody website

Tripadvisor entry for Dar Melody