Hotel de la Cite Carcassonne

Oh dear! This hotel has five star status but was very much a two star experience. The setting inside the walls of Carcassonne is promising but the hotel is altogether tired and dated. Our room, which we were told was an upgrade, was pokey and worn. The decor misses stylish by a mile and the bathroom was a mess of cracked marble and old fittings. The only shower was over the bath and had clearly fallen off the wall at some point and had been carelessly plastered back in place but no one had re-painted the wall since then. When we rang down to report that the TV was not working it took 45 minutes for someone to come and investigate. The mini bar contained just two bottles of water. The staff were trying to be helpful but seemed like trainees or students on a gap year - willing but hopeless. The restaurant menu was ambitiously formal so we didn't risk it and went out. Breakfast was the best bit of the stay but unexceptional. This hotel could be wonderful but needs a makeover.

After watching Rick Steves's video about this part of France, we knew it would be best to stay within the walls of the old town, and Rick was right. The hotel gives excellent directions to the parking lot outside of the town walls, and the driver picked us up quickly. We don't generally stay in hotels of this caliber, so it was a delightful surprise to be spoiled in such a way. The room was their standard, cheapest room, but it was magnificent. Spacious, spotless, richly decorated, and blissfully quiet. The French doors opened onto a garden with a nice view of the city and surrounding countryside. The hotel management had left a bouquet of flowers and some delicious chocolates made by their own chocolate chef in a beautifully-detailed chocolate box. Every evening, the bed was turned down and additional chocolates were left for us that were shaped like Carcassonne. The bathroom was well-appointed and immaculate. Towels were soft, absorbent, and in new condition. There were bathrobes and slippers for guests. Unfortunately the shower's spay nozzle with did not have a hook or other device to hold it in place on the wall. This oversight made it inconvenient to wash one's hair while holding the nozzle in one hand, and resulted in quite a bit of water sprayed on the floor and window sill. The first morning we enjoyed possibly the best croissant we've ever eaten at the small bakery that's just opposite the hotel and is run by the hotel, and the baked goods come from the hotel's ovens. Two croissants and some café au lait were the perfect start to a day. The second morning we chose to take the breakfast at the hotel. It was very good, with excellent service one could expect from such a fine hotel. The sole drawback to the breakfast was that the individual packets of sugar for coffee or tea were made of plastic. We found it most unusual that a superior hotel as this did not opt for an environmentally-friendly paper material for the sugar packets. Bottom line: Rick Steves was right about staying in the old town of Carcassonne. It's worth it to splurge of a room here and stay in less-expensive places elsewhere on your travels. If we're ever fortunate enough to return to this historic, unforgettable city, we will try to get a room here again.

I’ll start by saying it’s a cool place to stay for ONE night, you can see everything you need to see very quickly. It’s really interesting being inside an old fortified city…..the hotel needs TLC badly, black mold in shower, bathtub water wouldn’t heat up (shower and sink would though). Staff seams to be made up of university kids home for the holidays or on break. Def not a 5 star. But it’s one night and glad I did it, just not a place I’d ever come back to or think about again…… I kinda got vibes from City like when I get off a cruise ship and you know the port is all just tourist trap stuff. However, I have a super low rating compared to everyone else so maybe it’s just me.

We stayed here for 4 nights during our first trip to Carcassonne in October. We wanted to stay at a hotel intra muros and chose Hotel De la Cite, the highest rated 5 star, from the Accor website. Overall, we enjoyed our stay. The hotel staff, including the parking attendants at the lot, were nice, and for the most part, competent. The hotel is beautiful, especially the library/bar and restaurant. We didn't go to the spa and the pool was closed because the weather was too cold, but the garden and grounds were nice to wander through. The location is perfect, with all of the restaurants intra muros a short walk away. Our dinner at the hotel's restaurant La Barbacane was delicious, and our wait staff friendly. Not to detract from all of the 5 star reviews, and we didn't expect a centuries old former bishop's palace renovated into a modern hotel to be perfect, but an Accor luxury 5 star hotel at this price point does come with certain expectations. The intention may be there, but we would have to agree with other reviewers that Hotel de la Cite doesn't quite merit the 5 stars it is billed as. First, the good: 1. Beautiful, historic hotel and grounds. 2. Junior suite looked like it was from the Middle Ages. 3. Large bathroom with plenty of storage space. Drawers, closets, hangers inside the bathroom. Towel warming rack was an added plus. 4. Nespresso machine with 4 coffee pods, 2 decaf and 2 caff. Electric tea kettle and several tea bags included. Mini fridge under coffee/tea area. 5. Perfect location intra muros. 6. Parking lot very close outside the walls, 5 minute walk from the hotel. 7. Friendly staff and bartenders. Next, the not-so-good for a 5 star hotel: 1. Parking lot was a little difficult to find. Used the car GPS which told us to go up a small street past a sign that seemed to indicate do not proceed (red circle with a horizontal white line in the middle). Tip: ignore this sign and go past it to the top to get to the lot, shared with Best Western Donjon. 2. Tiny car used to drive the luggage up from the lot to the hotel was filthy. We opted to send the luggage in the car and walk up to the hotel, a 5 minute walk, 10 if you are a slow walker. 3. Room specific issues for the junior suite overlooking Eglise St Nazaire: *very uncomfortable period chairs in front of the TV, table wobbly and unstable. *smell of sewage from the shower drain permeated the bathroom. Had to run the shower for 5 minutes to clear out the odor, which would then return. Likely a plumbing issue with this room. *A/C didn't work while we were there. It was cold and rainy outside, but stuffy inside the room so we wanted to use the A/C. The thermostat on the wall didn't seem to work so we told the front desk the next morning, who said they would send someone to repair it. When we came back later that afternoon, the thermostat was turned to the cold setting but it was as hot as a sauna. Turned it off and alerted the front desk again, which by that time had a different staff member who told us that there was in fact no A/C, only heat. This struck us as odd not to have climate control at a 5 star hotel. No choice but to leave the shutters open to get cool air in, and keep the curtains closed so everyone couldn't look in. This worked fine for the room temperature, but the sounds of the garbage and delivery trucks in the early morning weren't conducive to sound sleep, so we ended up closing the shutters anyway. Wondered why they would send someone up to fix the A/C when there isn't A/C available to fix? Note: this was the only hotel we stayed at during our 15 day trip to France that didn't have climate control. *Because it overlooks the square in front of the hotel and church, it gets very noisy starting late morning once the tourists arrive. Unless you want to photo bomb every picture that tourists take of this building, best to leave the shutters mostly closed, which darkens the room and requires most of the room lights to be turned on. Or, hang out the window and wave at everyone if you like attention. 4. Service issues: *Housekeeping left 4 decaf coffee pods one day, instead of 2 caff/2 decaf. Found this out in the morning and tried to call housekeeping and the front desk to have 2 caff pods sent to the room, to no avail. Tried to call continuously for 15 minutes, no one picked up any phone. Got dressed and was on the way downstairs to ask for pods when I saw a cart in the hall with Nescafe coffee sticks, creamer, sugar, and baskets of decaf pods. I was looking in the baskets to see if I could find any caff pods when a man from housekeeping came by and he gave me a dirty look like I was crazy. I explained that I all wanted were 2 caff pods (good thing I speak French) and he looked through the cart and couldn't find any either, so he went into the room we were standing in front of and came out with 2 pods. Satisfactory outcome but this issue at a 5 star hotel? *Bartenders at the library bar were friendly but when it came time to settle the check, the one helping me said in English to make sure not to forget to give him a big tip. No smile or wink like this was a joke. Not a big deal but really? Can you imagine anyone at the Ritz or ShangriLa in Paris making this comment to a guest? Again, this is a wonderful hotel and we enjoyed our stay, but the aforementioned issues put Hotel de la Cite at 4 stars, certainly not 5. Perhaps Hotel de la Cite warrants 5 stars for a hotel in Carcassonne, since it is not in Paris. However, with this price point, and being considered a luxury Accor hotel, we were not thinking that we would have to lower our expectations.

Nice location but far from the announced standards. Some staff members are brilliant, caring and experts and some were even rude or not trying to satisfy your (reasonable) needs. No fitness, and rooms need some renovation. Well, all in all the ratings are somehow more a 4 than 5*.