Hotel de la Cité Carcassonne-MGallery 5 gwiazdki

Excellent hotel and services. Strategically situated close to the old cathedral in the castle. Room was more than adequate, immaculate clean with confortable bed and with a view to the old cathedral, tea facilities in suite, bathroom well equipped, and this funny tradition in French hotels where the loo is in a different room. The breakfast was abundant with a wide variety of fresh local quality products and the service was excellent and attentive. The breakfast saloon is really magnificent with a view to the castle towers and ramparts. Only con was the annoying insistency of the receptionist asking to provide credit card details in order to create a preauthorization charge in case we left the hotel without paying or decide to disable my credit card. to avoid paying. Very unprofessional and offensive, and even more as she just justified herself saying it was not her decision but the hotel policy. That is even more irritant as I felt like I had to trust the hotel management while they openly distrust its customers. Not a very constructive relationship.

Of the three hotels we would be staying at during our trip to Spain and France, I was most excited about Hôtel de la Cité, and it did not disappoint. It is an incredibly charming place in an impossibly beautiful setting—a fairytale come to life. I made our reservations through our Virtuoso Network travel agent at Ourisman Travel, and as always that included several perks like an upgrade, early check-in and late check-out, breakfast, and a dining credit. We arrived by train from Barcelona, and much to our surprise there was no line of taxis waiting at the station to pick up arriving passengers. After waiting at the taxi stand for 15 minutes, I called the hotel and they said they would call a taxi for us. Ten minutes later, with still no taxi, I called the hotel again, and they sent one of their drivers to pick us up. (I had wished someone had suggested we prearrange our pickup so that we wouldn’t have had to wait almost 40 minutes; it wasn’t a great start to our stay.) I was surprised/dismayed to see that the house car was small and scratched up, but when we saw how challenging it was for the driver to get into the walled city and get us to the hotel entrance (and he did so incredibly skilfully), the car’s size and condition made total sense! The old city is every bit as breathtaking in person as it is in photos, and the fact that a hotel as charming as Hôtel de la Cité exists within its walls is practically a miracle. We were immediately impressed by the warm atmosphere, historic architecture, and luxuriously appointed lobby and library bar. Check in was handled quickly and we were shown to our room while someone took care of our luggage. My first impression of the room was that it was smaller than anticipated, but the layout was quite clever: small foyer with a separate water closet and tiny bathroom to the right, and a walk-in closet to the left. The bedroom had a king sized bed, nightstands, desk and chair, armchair, dresser, and a small bar/cabinet. It was a bit tight, but very plush. However, when I stepped outside onto our terrace, I literally gasped. That first view from the terrace is something I will remember for the rest of my life: high above the city, twinkling lights in the distance, turrets and ramparts and barbicans all around me… just incredible. And it was a large terrace with a dining table, chairs, and an umbrella. What a delightful space it would be to spend a few hours in the summer! (I would be tempted to sleep out there, I think!) We enjoyed a casual dinner with some expertly made cocktails in the Library Bar, then wandered around the old city to take in the lights, and sights, and decorations of the season. Pure magic. Breakfast the next morning was an impressive buffet in a stately dining room. Service was super-attentive and very friendly. It was a wonderful way to start each day. A few months in advance we reserved a table for the hotel’s New Year’s Eve Gala and New Year’s Day dinner. They were very pricey but worth the cost for such special occasions in such a special place. The NYE party was a sophisticated and elegant affair that began with champagne and canapes in the lobby (with a pianist and violinist), then a multi-course dinner in the Michelin-starred restaurant, and finally a DJ with dancing in the Library Bar. Most guests dressed in their finest (there were a couple of outliers), and the very busy staff made sure that we were all well taken care of. Inexplicably, one table decided to bring three toddlers, two of which began having screaming fits from the moment they arrived. The group was put at the very back of the dining room, but there was no escaping the noise. Kudos to the maître d'hôtel who quickly summed up the “temperature of the room” and escorted the families to a table in another room near the lobby where they wouldn’t ruin the evening for the rest of us. He rescued the night! The next day we enjoyed a late breakfast, more wandering around the city, and then another multi-course gourmet dinner with wine pairings. It was as good as what we had enjoyed the night before; a delight from the amuse bouche to the mignardises. Hôtel de la Cité ranks as one of my favourite hotel experiences of all time. It ticks all the boxes that are important to me in a luxury hotel: warm hospitality, fine dining, an atmospheric bar, sumptuous décor, turndown service (with bespoke chocolates!), and a perfect location with jaw dropping views that will be seared into my mind’s eye forever.

We had a wonderful stay at this hotel. The staff were all extremely friendly and very helpful. The building itself is incredible - both historical (its like staying in a fairy tale castle) and luxurious. The location is also fantastic, right in the center of the old city within easy walking distance of everything.

What a fabulous hotel! The location inside the walls of Carcassonne with the hotel overlooking the ramparts and is only steps from the castle and next to the Cathedral. My room had an excellent view of one of the towers and the ramparts. It was large and the bathroom modern and well equipped. This is truly a 5 star hotel. Housekeeping kept the room clean during the day and during turn down service at night. I really enjoyed hearing the piano player in the bar/lounge. The ambiance in the lounge was very warm and comfortable. The breakfast served in the restaurant was excellent and decor reminded me of the history of this city. The receptionists were extremely helpful. I had corresponded with this hotel many times before I arrived and they were very responsive. They helped me with locating a tour guide off season for 2 tours and that certainly made my day.

We booked this venue for 19 people for a 90th birthday meal. Unfortunately, 3 people could not attend but ,despite having paid in advance, we were refunded. Absolutely amazing venue, fantastic meal with excellent friendly staff who were very accommodating. Canapes and blanquette on the terrace was a real bonus. could not recommend this venue more highly.