Palais Amani is Fez’s leading independent hotel and showcases the finest authentic and traditional Moroccan decoration. A large garden of 600m2 is at the centre of the palace filled with citrus trees where birds, permanent residents here, provide daily birdsong in this tranquil haven.
This Art Deco riad has been frequently updated and modernised by Jemima and Abdel Ali the couple who own and run the hotel. It is now Fez’s leading independent hotel. The Riad is home to 21 individually designed bedrooms and home to a restaurant, bar, library and underground hammam, which is lit by candlelight only. Palais Amani is also home to the Fez Cooking School located on the hotel’s rooftop offering 360-degree views of the city.
LLM – Luxury Lifestyle Magazine met Jemima Mann-Baha, who owns and runs Palais Amani with her husband, to find out a little more.
You and your husband Abdel Ali have refurbished and developed Palais Amani over the years since you purchased this unique space. What have been the biggest sustainable changes that have ultimately transformed the hotel?
When we first stepped into the palace that was to become known as one of the ‘must go to’ places to visit when coming to Fez, we knew that the building, though very tired, was something quite unique. And whilst the amount of work necessary to make it the boutique hotel that it is today, was at times daunting, the need for modern comforts was undeniably one of the major focuses during the four years that it took to bring an abandoned palace up to the standard expected by our guests today.
But what makes a place beautiful, once the mosaics are restored and the air conditioning is installed, once the water pressure is just spot on and the hand sculpted plaster work is renewed using the same methods passed down through generations?
For me the beauty comes through the quality of service, the welcome from the heart and the attention to detail that is given to our guests during their time with us. Creating a team who believe in being the ambassadors of their culture has been a major part of our project at the Palais Amani. It is a project not without challenges, but one that we feel ultimately proud of and believe that, thanks to this, a stay at our hotel is one that goes far beyond the beauty of the building.
The hotel has a firm focus on foodie Morocco with a diverse menu served in several dining areas, food guided tours of Fez and, of course, the Fez Cooking School. Tell us about travellers’ shift to a bigger food focus when staying at Palais Amani.
Moroccan cuisine has repeatedly been acclaimed to be one of the top three cuisines in the world thanks to its diversity and use of local seasonal produce. Sadly, when a traveller comes to Morocco they very often get served a very limited number of dishes and miss out on the richness of this cuisine.
Being foodies ourselves, allowing the guests who come to visit us in Fez, home to some of the most refined cuisine in Morocco, it seemed only natural to expand the possibilities to taste and learn about what makes this culinary culture so special. Our tasting tours in the medina are just one of the ways of understanding the variety of street foods that are offered, and the cooking school was born from a huge demand to understand just how the herbs and spices are combined to create some of the lesser known dishes that people eat in their homes. Today, the Fez Cooking School has become the city’s leading cookery school and it is open to both hotel guests and everyone visiting the city.
You have a long history with Fez and Morocco. What do you both love about Morocco?
The first time I went to Fez, I was 13 on a trip with my mother and brother. It had a lasting impression on me thanks to the kindness of the people and the unbelievable dipping into the medina. Each time I arrive, there is a feeling of familiarity and complete otherness that hasn’t changed for more than 40 years. The welcome, and the kaleidoscope of colours, the deliciousness of the food and the culture of wellbeing is what we both love so much about Morocco.
Fez has grown in popularity over the last few years but it remains a hidden gem to many. Tell us about the appeal of Morocco’s second largest city for short breaks.
Fez has remained a hidden gem mostly due to the air links that are much fewer than cities such as Marrakech. But this has the huge advantage of having preserved its authenticity in the exchange between locals and visitors.
The ancient medina is undeniably the most fascinating experience and the primary reason for visiting Fez. I think people are still very much unprepared for the immensity of the medina and the fact that it is a complete way of life that is so different from nearly all our visitors. To be able to wander around this labyrinth of a place, (and I reassure you, we have never lost a guest!) to feel what life must have been like in our countries many centuries ago, is exceptional. And in a short amount of time it is possible to be transported to a completely different world, to dip into the rituals that rhythm the life of the inhabitants of Fez and come back home feeling as if we have been on a long and incredible journey.
Today, Fez airport has been totally transformed and we now have flights from many European cities including London, Paris, Madrid and more.
In your opinion, what is the most difficult part about being a leader in the hospitality industry?
I believe maintaining consistency to be the most difficult but also the force of any business. At Palais Amani, we pride ourselves in maintaining customer satisfaction driven by the wellbeing of the team. Our mission statement also shows our leadership approach. We believe that travel is more than discovering new places, it’s unearthing the stories that inspire us to live a little more compassionately, healthily and to listen to our inner spirit. We help you do that by opening the door to a world that will restore, enrich and amaze you.
The hammam experience is one of Morocco’s signature attractions. Tell us about the hammam at Palais Amani and why it is so special.
The hammam at Palais Amani is designed in true Moroccan style complete with a hot room, an exfoliation room, separate showers and a luxury relaxation chamber. The ‘Royal Hammam’ treatment lasts one hour 15 minutes and transports guests into the ritual of purification not found outside of this fascinating country.
The experience begins with a hand and foot massage, then hand and foot scrub using natural rose water and scrub. After a hair mask using white clay ghassoul guests are then accompanied into the hot room for a black soap application and vigorous body scrub. A body mask and wrap is then followed by a gentle shampoo and body rinse. The entire experience is designed for pure relaxation and all this in a hammam lit only by candle light.
You recently unveiled new roof terrace bedrooms with stargazing now part of stays at the hotel. Palais Amani offers a diverse range of room categories for a mid-sized hotel. Tell us about the guest profile and which room types have grown in popularity.
The guest profile is relatively wide, as we have high-end suites such as the grand suite that is found on the first floor; a huge suite of over 100m2 in the original reception rooms of the family palace, but also we have noticed an increase in demand for cosier rooms that allow perhaps a younger range of clients to be able to come and benefit from our unique space.
Our new stargazing suite is in the junior suite category so remains relatively affordable for those wishing to sleep in a comfortable suite and enjoy the incredible 360-degree views of the ancient city in the evening and the sunrise early in the morning.
What are the plans for the future at Palais Amani? Any new launches or additions?
There are plans to extend the Palais by adding a small number of junior suites that are becoming more popular. The Fez Cooking School is expanding too to answer the increasing number of bookings, and one of the terraces is being refurbished as a dedicated dining area that overlooks the gardens so that those who have cooked their meals have more space to dine together whilst benefiting from plunging views onto the gardens below.
Factbox
Address: 12 Derb El Miter, Fès 30000, Morocco
Phone: +212 5356-33209
Website: palaisamani.com
