We approached this hotel with some trepidation after reading the reviews but it was one of the few available at short notice. The trepidation increased when we were asked to pay upfront without seeing the room. However we needn't have worried. The room was a good size for France and was perfectly adequate. Certainly it wasn't luxurious but at the very reasonable price charged it offered excellent value for money. The ceiling fan combined with the shutter helped alleviate the heat and traffic noise though a back room would have been better as the hotel is on a main road. The decor was quite fresh, the shower was powerful and the bed was comfortable. There is a reasonably priced machine in the lobby for hot and cold drinks and snacks. The hotel is very convenient for the station, canal and main shopping street ,with a Monoprix supermarket a short walk away, and is within easy walking distance of the medieval city. Alternatively there is a bus stop right outside. We didn't take breakfast or have any dealings with reception so can't comment on these. Obviously at these prices you don't get the Ritz and have to adjust your expectations accordingly but this is a typical French 2 star hotel better than many I have stayed in and represents very good value. Apart from the medieval city, Carcassonne itself is somewhat run down but that's hardly the fault of the hotel, and it's a very good base for an enjoyable break.

Stayed at the Au Rôyal Hotel for 5 nights in July 2010.

We were allocated room 27, a double room with en-suite shower room on the 3rd. floor of the hotel. We arrived at 10:00am and although the check-in time was not until 3:00pm, we were allowed to check in and leave our luggage in the room. At check-in, we were given a map of the city and lots of useful information on things to see and do in the city. The hotel has a very relaxed ambience and the staff were always friendly and helpful.
Our room was of a reasonable size for a French 2* hotel, simply furnished and decorated in a "metropolitan NYC style" with contrasting pin-striped wallpaper. The en-suite shower room was of a good size. The room looked onto the main street, the Boulevard Jean-Jaurès, yet was always quiet. In essence, the room was clean, comfortable and quiet. As many have noted, there is no air-conditioning and certainly, as we were there in the heat of a southern French summer, it was hot. The over-head fan in the room helped to achieve a comfortable enough environment to allow a decent night's sleep but only just!

The hotel is well located in the centre of the Basse-Ville with all the tourist attractions, cafes and restaurants within easy walking distance. The bus-stop for the Carcassonne airport navette is only a 5 minute walk away.

Unusually, for a French city, we found that there was not such a great choice of good places to eat. Three places that we can recommend for good value dining are L'Escalier on Boulevard Omer-Sarraut, Le Sixième Sens on rue Aimé Ramond, both in the Basse-Ville, and Le Saint-Jean on Place Saint-Jean in La Cité.

In summary, the Au Rôyal Hotel offers great value accommodation with friendly, welcoming service in a very central location. The lack of air-conditioning in the height of summer is the only minor drawback.

Recommended!

The hotel was easy to find after the friendly airport shuttle bus driver directed us where to find the hotel. The receptionist at the hotel appeared to be pleased when we said we'd booked in for 2 nights. The room was a good size for two and was clean. However, we were disappointed with the quality of the air conditioning - it was a ceiling fan and not adequate for 30 + heat. The TV had a piece of gaffa tape across the bottom and didn't work and when I tried to adjust the bedside lamps, the bulbs fell out and both lamps didn't work.

After an evening out in Carcassone, we were shattered, we couldn't leave the fan on, as it was too noisy, it was unbearable trying to sleep in the heat. At 1.30 am, on both nights we stayed, we heard groups of people talking and returning to their rooms. This was accompanied with banging of doors for half an hour - we assumed they we working in the town.

We had booked to stay our final night in the hotel at the end of the work, but, due to our lack of sleep we decided to stay at another hotel. When we informed the receptionist of our change, she appeared annoyed and claimed she couldn't unbook us, because we'd booked via booking.com. She gave us a telephone number and told us if we didn't cancel the reservation, then we'd have to pay. We rang the number and it didn't ring out. Our next step was to trek to the other side of the town, hunting for an internet cafe to cancel the booking.

We did find another hotel, that was friendlier and a lot better.

When we arrived at this hotel I asked to see a room before checking in . The lady at the desk informed me I could not see a room until I had paid for one nights accomodation. She showed me some very faded photos. This was not acceptable so we went somewhere else. I wonder why she didnt want us to view the room. Interesting!!!