Hôtel de la Cité
Built on the site of a former Episcopal palace, the Hôtel de la Cité is located next to the Saint-Nazaire Basilica. It is the only luxury hotel within Carcassonne’s medieval citadel. The hotel's private gardens afford an impressive view of the ramparts, the Black Mountains to the North and the Pyrenees to the South. Guests in search of tranquillity will find here a true oasis of peace. In the shade of its centenary trees, they can enjoy a drink or a swim in the outdoor heated pool.Google Map
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Built in 1909, the Hôtel de la Cité was enlarged in 1913 and in 1927.
In the 20's, it became a fashionable stop-over on the roads between Nice and Biarritz, Biarritz and Barcelona. Allying the greatest comfort to the elegant tradition of the grand hotels, the hotel makes its guests feel at home. "After so many hotels, I have finally come home" wrote novelist Colette in the hotel's Golden Book.
The Hôtel de la Cité closed its doors during the Second World War and re-opened with the arrival of Francis Lasserre in 1945.
The 50's saw its heyday, to which the numerous signatures in the hotel Golden Book testify. There was a decline during the 60's and the restaurant closed in 1969, followed by the closure of the hotel in 1987.
In 1989, it was acquired by local entrepreneur Jean-Michel Signoles, President of the fashion company Chipie S.A. and soon recaptured its lost glory. Under Mr. Signoles' management, the hotel was modernised and the restaurant regained its high standard of quality.
In April 1997, it was purchased by Orient-Express Hotels and underwent a complete renovation from 1998 to 2001 to keep up with the group's standards of excellence. During the first phase of the renovation, the two existing hotels, the four-star Hôtel de la Cité and the three-star Hôtel Dame Carcas, joined by a covered passageway, were merged into a single luxury hotel.
The second phase, a 18 million Franc venture, involved the renovation of the public areas on the ground-floor, restored to their former neo-gothic architectural character and listed by the French National Conservation Trust in 1998. The complete renovation of Hôtel de la Cité was terminated in May 2001 when the first floor of the Villa, part of an ancient building on the square next to the Jardin de L’Evèque, was completed.
The Villa comprises a junior suite, a double deluxe room and a suite with separate lounge area and a private garden. Each room in the Villa has a view of the 12th century Saint-Nazaire Basilica. Ten rooms in the Dame Carcas wing of the main hotel were also renovated over the winter 2000/01 period.
Ten luxuriously appointed suites and deluxe rooms have been created, each individually decorated in a light French Provençal style with hand-painted furniture.
- Rooms 40 - Suites & Junior Suites 21 Rooms
21 Suites