Château des Ducs de Joyeuse

To start with I would like to say that we have been coming here for 15 years and before it became a Corporate business it was outstanding, you were made to feel so welcome. It was so lovely and all staff were very attentive then. We always looked forward to the experience of dining in the fabulous courtyard, it had such ambiance.||How it changed this year. We arrived after having driven 2 hours up from the coast to be greeted with "Dinner is off tonight, you will have to go elsewhere" and were given a couple of choices , some meant driving again. We were told it was because their fridges had broken. ( we did end up going to a fabulous local restaurant where our custom was appreciated)||The female staff member then took us the wrong way to our room and it was extremely hot by then. ||We booked bed and breakfast last year to stay at the Chateau and we booked a table for dinner in January this year.||We went to the bar area to have a drink, another place where there used to be oodles of ambiance, to eventually be told by the maître d' "I'll get someone to serve you" why he couldn't, I don't know, as he had just served someone else? A young lad came out, who didn't speak French and had trouble getting our drinks, the maître d' had to show him how to do it.||We noticed later in the evening that 2 a large tables were being set for Dinner for some other guests.||When checking out we were asked if our stay was good and I explained that it was not and asked why we were told we could not have the dinner experience but others could. ||We were told by the manager it was because they had booked half board.||Is room, breakfast and dinner not half board? We had this booked a good 6 months prior to our visit. ||I'm just so disappointed that this piece of our annual homage to Couiza has been spoiled as we will not go back again to the Chateau. So sad.

Fantastic food well above expectations. Lovely ambiance and great services. There are 2 menu's and we were able to get a full vegetarian menu by swapping items between menus. Recommend Gaujal half bottle of wine from a coastal vineyard with a salty aftertaste, interesting.

Wonderful hotel in a real chateau, with all the terrific ambiance that entails. Great welcome, with Romain speaking fluent English. Fabulous restaurant in the courtyard of the hotel, with attentive waiters (Xavier in particular). Scrumptious dishes (only exception was the ceviche, a bit lacking in flavor). We hope to return for the holidays, Christmas and New Year's.

An incredible Castle, it made me feel like a Queen. The very attentive staff, the comfort of the rooms, the peace and tranquillity that is accompanied by the sound of the river. I was particularly impressed by the restaurant. The dishes were very well cared for, they looked like a painting with an explosion of flavours.|A special Thank You to Xavier and Romain for all your care and attentions.|Emanuela

Very nice hotel in a lovely town. Nice outdoor pool with plenty of space to relax. Good breakfast that you can eat in the courtyard. Nice clean rooms with good quality WiFi. Unfortunately, the restaurant is VERY expensive. I recommend staying at the Château and eating at La Perception Des Saveurs Cathares. You will save a lot of money but have great service! This seems to be what most guests do.

Old castle renovated into hotel. Fairly fast internet. Cuisine is superb French. Great service. But rooms are small for me, bathroom updated.

I was looking for and found an exceptional location near Carcassonne, exceeding expectations. A beautifully preserved château, situated in a tranquil valley just outside a small village, that has been expertly converted into a hotel. The property offers a quiet setting, a swimming pool, well-maintained rooms, and a highly satisfying breakfast buffet. Parking is available at a nominal fee just outside the château. Dining options, both in the dining room and courtyard, provide excellent cuisine at reasonable prices. Considering optimal temperatures and tourist volume, early summer or autumn are ideal visiting periods; my visit in early June proved perfect. The hotel's location provides easy access to the captivating Cathar country, with its stunning castle ruins and the historic city of Carcassonne (a highly recommended excursion). Finally, the staff's exceptional friendliness and helpfulness were noteworthy. I intend to return.

This is solely for the food at the restaurant that we ate in, and not the hotel. ||But...I simply had to write a review because of how disgusting the meal was. Genuinely one of the worst meals of my life. The food was trying way too hard, yet it had a very small menu, so minimal complicated dishes. Just tried to be too fancy. e.g. 3 different sauces on each plate, multiple textures, and yet the fish or meat was overcooked. Also - 7 tables eating and two waiters...who made it seem like there were 70 tables. Fawlty Towers esque and neither of them bothered ot ask why none of the 6 of us finished any of our plates each course. We genuinely were laughing about the meal just past on the way home.

I had a nice 4 night stay at this castle hotel. My room was comfortable. I especially loved my large tub in my bathroom. The courtyard has a lot of birds and feathers everywhere. The birds also make a lot of noise that can be a bit loud in the mornings. Services at this hotel can also be a bit expensive. The stairwell to the rooms can be a challenging climb for some people. The owners are friendly. Overall, I had a nice stay. 4 Stars