Le Coucou in Méribel is a five-star hotel on the Route du Belvédère, in the heart of Les 3 Vallées, the largest ski area in the world. You have views of the garden, the valley, or the slopes. The hotel was designed by Pierre Yovanovitch, one of the big names in French design. He blended references to the region with modern details, making the whole playful and handsome. Vintage and contemporary pieces are mixed together on patterned floors in deep colors. There are 39 suites, 16 rooms, and two private chalets with their own spa and pool. The indoor pool has a large window overlooking the mountains, and from the balconies, you look out over the Belvédère. The restaurants, Beefbar and Biancaneve, and general tips for when you are in the area!

There is an indoor and a heated outdoor pool, a spa, and a very trendy kids' club. Those who want to go all out can book a chalet with a private pool, sauna, and massage room. At restaurant Biancaneve, you can enjoy Italian cuisine, a nice change after days of fondue and raclette.

In the ski room, they take care of your gear, and guests are full of praise for the ski shop manager. A free shuttle takes you to the village. Parking costs fifty euros per day, so consider the transfer.

Expensive? Yes. And that is mainly due to the location: Le Coucou is situated on the Belvédère, at the foot of the Rond-Point des Pistes, about seven hundred meters from the center of Méribel. From the doorstep, you can ski on to Courchevel and Val Thorens, together offering six hundred kilometers of slopes. It takes about two hours to drive there from Lyon, and the nearest train station is Moûtiers, seventeen kilometers away. Those who do not ski can go sledding from the hotel or be pulled across the snow by a pony.

You eat in three restaurants. Beefbar is the steakhouse with a view of the slopes, open from breakfast to dinner. Biancaneve puts Italian food on the table in the evening, and in The Smokehouse you eat Savoyard classics. With half-board, you can dine at both Beefbar and Biancaneve. For the after ski You sit at the bar, with a large terrace overlooking the valley. Please note around the holidays: Christmas dinner costs an extra one hundred and eighty-eight euros per adult, and New Year's Eve costs two hundred and eighty-eight euros.

Le Coucou calls itself first and foremost a family hotel: The Petit VIP Kid's Club is for children aged four to nine, with workshops such as storytelling with shadow and light or mask making, and parents are welcome to simply join in. The club is open every day from 12:30 to 9:30 p.m. Teenagers aged ten to fifteen have their own Teens Lab, where they learn to cook or mock tails make. The daily activities are free. Many rooms can be connected by a connecting door, so with a large family you are still together.