Dar Bensouda

Dar Bensouda is a riad-style guesthouse in the Zokak Lebghel area of the Fes el-Bali medina, in Fes, Morocco, on Derb Zokak Lebghel. It lies about a 15-minute walk from Batha Square, and from there the Bab Boujloud gate, the Dar Batha museum and the main Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira lanes are within reach on foot. As with all of Fes el-Bali, the medina is pedestrian-only, so guests arrive on foot, and hotel staff or porters are the usual solution for luggage. The house is built around two courtyards, a layout that gives it more space and light than many medina properties, and it follows the traditional Fassi pattern of enclosed, inward-facing rooms decorated with carved plaster, tilework and wood. Accommodation is offered as Double Rooms and Suites, in the mid-range band of about MAD 1,000 to 2,400 per night depending on the season. The property lists a swimming pool, a private hammam, two courtyards and Wi-Fi. A pool is an unusual and welcome feature inside the medina, especially in the hot summer months, when walking the old city is tiring and a cool courtyard is valuable. The hammam gives guests a traditional Moroccan bathing experience without leaving the house. No separate restaurant or fitness facilities are listed, so meals are typically taken in the medina's restaurants or arranged with the guesthouse, and guests should confirm breakfast arrangements when booking. The property has its own website at darbensouda.com for direct enquiries. Service is that of a small guesthouse: staff help with transfers, medina orientation and guides. It suits couples, small groups and travellers who want a quiet retreat after days of sightseeing. Its distance from the Bab Boujloud area makes it calmer in the evening, though the walk back through the lanes after dark is best done with directions or an escort.