Standing with the stray cats on the dusty street outside Riad Idrissy there’s no hint of the scale and beauty of what lies within. Located in the heart of the labyrinth of ancient passageways that make up Fez Medina, a UNESCO world heritage area, the front of the hotel looks like just every other door.
However, step inside and it’s hard not to be swept away by the splendour. The four ornately decorated rooms are located around a central internal patio open to the sky. Each is huge with 4m high ceilings which are carved or painted. When you lie on the bed you feel like the ranks of the nobility that once owned it.
It’s difficult to take a bad photograph of such a splendid place. But also it’s difficult to take a photograph that really captures the magic. I think the trick to finding the soul of something is to spend time getting to know it. So Robert Johnstone, the manager, closed the hotel for four days and we tried different shots in different light. Once we’d done the hotel, we moved on to the adjacent Ruined Garden which is due to open as a restaurant in September.
Client testimonial: “your shots are so fab…….very pleased”.
