Hotel de la Cite Carcassonne

Six of us shared a lovely bottle of red as a night-cap and the staff were welcoming and friendly and sat us in the beautiful library. The nuts and olives were free. It felt very sophisticated and homely.

The hotel is a lovely property located in the medieval town of Carcassone. We got a big room on the ground floor which was very nice albeit dark. The trouble wasn’t the property, it was the horrible service. Now I don’t usually write negative reviews but this time I felt it was important. First to say we had dinner at their restaurant one night and it was amazing. The service and food were fantastic and the lady who runs the restaurant was very nice as well as our waiter. The problem was all inter service. It took forever to get a drink at the bar and on a day it was raining and we wanted to order room service for lunch we had to ask for the in room dinning menus which took 20 minutes to arrive. Then when we called the number set out on said menu we were told they didn’t take food orders and we should call reception. We were sent back and forth between reception and the bar multiple times, each refusing to take food orders. Finally someone took our order but the food never arrived! This is not how a 5 star hotel should operate. They really need to work on their service.

The hotel is located in the stunning medieval old town of Carcassonne. You can reach it by parking just outside the city walls in the hotel’s reserved parking area, where a staff member will pick you up with a small car and take you to the reception. At the reception, it is immediately clear that the service is truly worthy of its five-star rating: precise, punctual, polite, with a warm welcome — everything one would expect from a hotel of this level. Being in a medieval city, the hotel matches the setting. While the services are excellent, unfortunately the rooms are in need of a thorough renovation. The furniture is old — and by “old” one doesn’t mean “antique” — and the bathrooms also present some issues that should be addressed. The common areas inside are very aesthetically impressive, while the exteriors are delightful, with a splendid garden where breakfast is served during the summer months. Breakfast itself is varied and enjoyable, offering international options along with a few local specialties. The outdoor pool is well located and pleasantly quiet. Overall, the hotel ensures privacy in a unique historical setting. It is also an excellent starting point for visiting the medieval city early in the morning or in the late afternoon and evening — the best times to avoid the hordes of tourists that flood the streets at midday, making the visit less enjoyable, not to mention the parking outside the walls, which fills up quickly despite its size.

Wonderful location Tranquil gardens and pool Comfortable bed Room with stunning views - but small for ~450 euros per night Friendly and attentive staff Disappointed that we could not eat dinner at the hotel - not all the staff were helpful, most were

We arrived at this beautiful, historic hotel within the castle walls of Carcassonne and were upgraded to a charming room with a beautiful view of the gardens and the city below. The breakfast in the wonderful restaurant was excellent and there was lots of local produce to sample. We even got a chance to dine in their Michelin starred restaurant. We shall never forget that experience, just magic. The gardens with the pool were great and the service top notch. We would love to return!