Riad Dar Arsama

Our stay in Dar Arsama was very disappointing. We reserved 2 rooms for 3 nights and while the welcome and introductions were cordial, To start, one of the rooms would not close due to alignment and therefore could not be locked. That room would not cool even with the AC being turned on. This is understandable, as this is a 400 year old renovated home, but the owner saw this issue and said that someone would come and fix it. However that never happened. A few loose tiles on the steep steps pose a safety risk. Ilhan and her partner prepared a savory excellent breakfast and her dinner was exceptional. This was the saving grace. Additionally , we requested arrangement for a day trip to Chefchaouen through the owners , as that is the suggested method by most travelers in Fez. The van that was sent was an old creaky one that never had a working Air Conditioning, we find out 20 minutes into our drive. On the top of it the driver did not speak any English and so the communication was nearly Zero. Upon our return to , when we spoke to Violeta, the owner, her response was unapologetically "well, you got to ChefChaouen didn't you , so you have the pay the full price". We returned exhausted around 930pm to discover that there was no hot water in both the rooms and the owners responded to our texts only after 11:30pm Be aware that the breakfast is served from 830am onwards and if you have to leave earlier, you are offered yogurt, orange juice, soft cookies. We would not recommend this place because in addition to all issues with the room and vehicle, Violeta's response is completely unacceptable.

The Full Fes Experience at Dar Arsama We stayed three wonderful nights immersed deep in the Fes Medina. As an experience it was similar to the best we have had when we stay in a small bed & breakfast. Three features of our stay made it especially pleasant and rewarding: 1. This is a 400-year-old building that the owners have personally beautifully restored. The updating maintained the ambiance of a comfortable Moroccan house. 2. Our hosts and the location made the Medina work for us. a. The host met us on arrival at the main "blue" gate and escorted us to Dar Arsama. While it is deep in the Medina, it is located just off a main "street" and we had no trouble leaving and returning to it on our own. b. The Dar offers home made evening meals that are excellent and reasonably priced. We did this two nights and wished we had done that on the third night. c. Our host recommended an excellent guide who showed us the Medina and Fes. 3. As is true with most B&Bs we have enjoyed, the opportunity to get to know the owners adds much to the experience. We definitely enjoyed talking with the owners (Violeta and her husband) and the other guests. Cleanliness was impeccable. Breakfasts were very good and served in the roof-top garden. WiFi bandwidth was also very good. An excellent value for the money!

Mil gracias a Violeta, Adil y su equipo por los detalles y cuidados que raramente un anfitrión puede dar. Dar Arsama esta muy bien ubicado en la médina de Fes, lindo Riad renovado con amor, los tours, la comida de calidad y una noche en el desierto inolvidable.