Dar Seffarine

Hippy living meets designer hotel: a unique combination, and an absolute steal in the heart of Fes' medina

Dar Seffarine is a one-off: a beautifully renovated dar which combines impeccable design with lazy, laid-back living - and unbeatable prices. But it's not for everyone. If you don't mind leaving your bedroom doors open, having your mint tea served by the little boy from next door and occasionally helping out in the kitchen, then read on.

First off, the design. Alaa and Kate have resurrected this 600-year-old house with their own hands, lots of love and plenty of patience (local politics have not made it easy for them). He is an architect from Iraq, she's a graphic designer from Norway, and the result is a highly original blend of Moorish monumentalism and Scandinavian minimalism. Think soaring square columns, 18-foot carved-cedar doors, zellij-tiled floors set against blank white walls. Climb one of the steep and narrow stairwells (there are five of them) and you emerge onto a dazzling, rambling roof terrace with white sofas, mosaic tables, impromptu dinners for all, and stunning moonlight views over the ramshackle roofs of the medina's grittiest quarters.

Second, the atmosphere. This is definitely a home rather than a hotel. The deep central court and the roof terrace are the focus of communal life, and you'll soon meet the other guests. Bedroom doors are left open to reinforce the open-house ambiance; you feel as if you're among friends – or people who are soon to become your friends. Everyone shares the kitchen (breakfast is served, but you can make your own lunch or even help prepare dinner for 12 if you look confident with the couscous). Kate might suddenly appear with a platter of mint tea and pastries for someone's birthday, but equally she might disappear to chat to neighbours for a while (in this case, the 6-year-old lad from next door – Kate's "manager-in-training" – takes over clearing the glasses away). Alaa talks freely about Arabic politics and his family losses in Iraq; no words are minced, but it all ends in smiles.

This is a mecca for young, open-minded travellers who like to share beers, smokes and travel stories on the stunning roof terrace, before retiring to a palatial but pared-down bedroom; and who want to experience the real Fes in all its gritty, colourful, noisy splendour. It's the kind of place you could easily book for a night and end up staying a week, or even a month if you're not careful.

Highs

• Stunning bedrooms with high ceilings, intricate tilework, painted wooden doors and furniture
• Warm, generous hospitality from the owners, which goes far beyond that of any professional hotelier
• Excellent value for money

Lows

• Lots of steep, narrow steps
• It's very laid back (as you will have gathered)
• Not many mod cons
• Not for young kids – besides anything else, there are low parapets around the terrace