Karma Château de Samary — Hotel in Carcassonne

My husband and I had an absolutely charming stay at Karma Chateau de Samary - the best of our Karma experiences so far. ||Two specific things that made it a superior and more relaxing experience compared to all our previous Karma experiences : |1) Nobody wasted our time trying to upgrade our membership or upsell us anything, which tends to be a painful part of the usual Karma experience :) |2) We were NOT subjected to any loud noisy “community activity” such as horrible off-key karaoke sessions or tambola or games - we were left alone in peace, with the option of joining in at the thrice a week dinner in the common dining room, which was the nicest possible way to interact with other members visiting. ||The Chateau de Samary is not, perhaps an experience for everyone. For anyone looking for the usual flawless modern hotel experience, it has its share of flaws - from insufficient charging points to quaint rickety ancient chests and drawers that don’t balance or open or close smoothly, to little bugs that are bound to be a part of any place surrounded by dense vegetation. ||But all of this was more than amply compensated by its many curious charms and quirks and the character and atmosphere the place exudes, the warmth and helpfulness of Martin and Chris, not to mention the brilliant meals conjured up by Taylor, while we were there. ||I am also hopelessly partial to any establishment that loves animals - and the fact that the Chateau Cat presides over everything as the lord and master of the Chateau swept me off my feet! :) The cat also chose to accompany us on some of our hikes to nearby areas, and kept us company through our meals :) ||It was gorgeous waking up to the glorious tree in its fall colours outside our window, while we sipped the aromatic french press coffee made in our room. The breakfasts were a lovely selection of breads, cereals, cold cuts, cheeses, coffees and juices. ||We opted not to rent a car, but the next time we come here, we probably shall. Martin - apart from picking us up from and dropping us off at Carcassonne Station and regaling us with his stories, also gave us a ride to Le Cite. ||We had a breathtaking tour of the old ramparts as well as the old town and its absolutely charming cafes and shops, of the river Aude and the Old Bridge over it, of Carcassone town, its squares, and the walking path along the ever present Canal Du Midi. ||On some of the other days, we enjoyed long walks, thru the vineyards in Alairac to Lavalette, to Sauzens and along the magnificent Canal Du Midi absolutely resplendent with trees in their fall finery, and blueberry bushes still laden over with blueberries the colour of the sky, to medieval Pezens and many more places that were literally and figuratively a breath of fresh air for us. ||Plus there was the small added benefit of the fact that the Chateau possibly has the largest concentration of English speaking people under a roof, in these parts :) Though knowing even a smattering of French is guaranteed to ensure a more warm and friendly reception anywhere in France! ||There are many pictures and videos and stories that I’ve gathered over our stay here - I’m hoping to share them on my social media at sawan_traveldiary@sawandutta over time....

This is a converted 19th century chateau about 10 kms outside of Carcassonne. This only opened about three months before our stay and was still getting set up and organized. There are only seven bedrooms in the entire resort. The manager, Ed told us that there are plans to renovate the unfinished top floor with more bedrooms and suites and to install six glamping tents. It’s decorated in period style and is aiming at the niche of exclusive holiday travel with personalized attention. It's off to a great start. Ed couldn't have been more helpful, nor the other staff. Continental breakfasts on the terrace were a great way to start the day and several times a week there is a three course dinner available on the terrace and a Sunday night bbg. We joined in each of these and they were fabulous, relaxed evenings. We spent time in the pool most days, borrowed the resort bicycles, spent quiet time in the serenity of the library and had a wonderful relaxing week. The only advice I would give to potential guests is to have access to a motor vehicle otherwise your opportunities to explore the local area are severely limited and the nearest restaurant is a 1 1/2 km walk on the evenings when there is no dinner available at...

My husband and I really enjoyed our 9 days at this wonderful French castle.|The area around Carcassonne is very interesting with its historic buildings and is ideal for walks and bike rides. We felt very comfortable and welcome at the Chateau, everyone on Celine and Chris' team were so helpful and attentive.|We really enjoyed sitting outside on the terrace and enjoying a good breakfast.|And since the pool and garden were so well maintained, we enjoyed a sunset drink (from the reasonably priced Honesty Bar) by the pool before dinner. The 3 course meals (5 evenings a week) prepared by Chris and his assistant Benoit were delicious and always with good company to have interesting conversations "around the world".|The rooms are nice, a good size and have a kettle for tea and coffee.|Many thanks also to the friendly housekeepers (Bonjour Odette!) who made it so pleasant for us.|Thank you everyone, we'll be happy to come back!...