Forget what your French teacher taught you about ‘Bonjour’ or ‘Salut’, there is one French greeting you may not have in your vocabulary. “Coucou!”, sings the mother as she returns home from the slopes. Reserved only for close family and friends, this welcoming greeting is a fitting name for a family-run hotel on the slopes. However, this is no ordinary family home. The new hotel, Le Coucou, is shaking up the Meribel hotel scene.

On the slopes, the hotel appears as an unassuming chalet, but when you step inside is something completely different. With the help of Parisian designer Pierre Yovanovic, you will find boldly painted colorful walls, eccentric furniture, and an expertly selected art collection. Italian chef Riccardo Giraudi oversees the kitchens and natural skincare guru Tata Harper is on the spa’s nameplate, so you know you’re in good hands. Due to its perfect location, which affords immediate access to the slopes from the ski room and private chalets, this is THE place to stay this winter season.

Le Coucou is part of a boutique collection of five-star hotels, Maisons Pariente, run by the Pariente Family. The impressive portfolio of French properties are spread across Provence, St Tropez, Meribel and soon Paris. Using inspiration from their own experiences skiing in the Three Valleys, Patrick Pariente and his daughters, Kimberley Cohen and Leslie Kouhana, imagined the needs of today’s modern skier. They have absorbed the essence of Alpine Meribel into their design and have created a modern hotel with striking art, unique gastronomy, and wellbeing. Equally impressive is the Hotel’s art collection, with original pieces cherry-picked by the Pariente family, in collaboration with art curator Amélie du Chalard. Throughout Le Coucou, you will see art pieces from the family’s personal collection, which once hung in their family living room.

Le Coucou’s Artistic Director, Kimberley Cohen, says, “We like to include thoughtful gifts to make our guests happy and make their day better”. You’ll find everything from tissue packs and ski socks to thermal water bottles and mini portable ashtrays that will enhance your skiing experience.

This five-star boutique hotel in a chalet design is a skier’s paradise. From the moment your ski pass is given to you on arrival, your transition to the slopes is seamless. Get kitted out from head-to-toe at the ski shop, for fittings of skis and heated boots, with a convenient boutique section for a stylish wardrobe change. From here, simply ski directly onto the slopes which feeds down to the main lifts, ready waiting to take you to different corners of the Three Valleys.

Skiing in Les Trois Vallées is a spoiling choice for any skier as the world’s largest interconnected ski area. Explore for an entire week and you could not do the same slope twice. From tranquil green slopes to sharp blacks, the resort has a balanced offering to suit all levels of skiiers. Awaiting your return, the Le Coucou team are ready to put away your skis, heat your boots, so you can warm up in the cosy bar, escape to the spoiling spa or dine in luxury.

Built from scratch, the design of the hotel is the brainchild of Parisian architect and interior designer Pierre Yovanovic. Despite its ten floors, 16 rooms, 39 suites, and two private chalets, the hotel appears to blend into the slope from the outside. A thrilling surprise awaits you from the moment you enter the circular hotel lobby. The wooden seating area is offset by an iceberg-shape chandelier hanging from a dome ceiling with a mural of tawny owls flying over cobalt blue mountains by artist Matthieu Cosse.

The style of the rooms maintains elements of the wooden embellishments of the Alpine style of Meribel but gives it a contemporary twist. Wooden furniture stands out against terracotta walls and polka dot floors. The bathrooms are elevated with deep marble tubs and walk-in showers. You’ll find eclectic touches such as ski poles used as chair legs, owl-shaped coat hooks, and bird feet beneath the table legs. The nature-themed pieces are subtle hints that Pierre was there, like an artist’s signature on a canvas.

On site, there are two chalets, Eglantine and Eleanore, named after the story characters that Patrick imagined for his daughters as children. The charming names contrast with the grandeur of each chalet’s pool, steam room, sauna, and games room. With private facilities and direct access to the slopes, as well as shared access to the hotel’s facilities, these chalets provide a premium experience.

You won’t need to leave the hotel for fine dining. Chef Riccardo Giraudi brings his Beefbar concept, a popular concept worldwide from Monaco to Paris, to Meribel to set up his first mountain restaurant in Le Coucou. Beef is the star ingredient on the menu, as one might expect. The international line-up will include the Japanese Kobe, Australian Wagu, and Argentinian and American Black Angus. Whether grilled, wok-fried, barbecued or sliced into teppanyaki or tartare, these high-quality meats can be prepared any way you wish. Smoked courses are complemented by their signature mash, flavored with caviar, truffles, lemon or Jalapenos.

At Bianca Neve, Riccardo’s Italian upbringing must have contributed to the fantastic flavour combination of the dishes. Italian music provides the backing soundtrack as charcuterie platters are shared amongst friends, steaming pizzas emerge from the kitchen and an avalanche of truffle shavings fall onto plates of fresh pasta.

As Tata Harper is known as the ‘Queen of Green Beauty,’ you can expect to be in good hands when you visit the Tata Harper Spa. The hotel’s beauticians will treat you with a variety of custom-created treatments using Harper’s organic, natural, beauty products. Ski-fatigued legs are treated with a trip to the sauna, steam room or hammam hot tub. The indoor/outdoor pool is the main attraction; you can watch the slope-side activities from an armour of warm water.

The chic ski hotel boasts an impressive list of activities beyond spas and skiing. With a morning Shavasana, Snow-Yoga allows guests to stretch and reset after a long day on the slopes. Three-time kickboxing World Champion, Philippe de Laurentis, is at your disposal for private boxing classes. The concierge team can arrange hot air balloon rides and snowshoeing treks through the forest as well as dog or pony sledding down the mountains. Le Coucou’s staff ensures excellent service but in a subtle way so that you can enjoy a seamless holiday on the slopes.

Overlooking Meribel, guests at Le Coucou can wander through the village sampling the best French produce from local bakeries, markets and cheese shops. Aprés skiers will be pleased to have one of Meribel’s hottest aprés ski bars, Le Rond Point, just a 15 minute walk away. The perfect reward for a day on the slopes is listening to live saxophonists with a vin chaud or a chilled beer in hand. Le Coucou’s neighbouring location allows guests to loose themselves in the aprés atmosphere, without the worry about how they will ski or slide back down to their accommodation in town.

There is something for all types of travelers at Le Coucou: the early-bird skier, the spa lover, the gourmand and the art enthusiast. The luxurious chalet-style hotel has created a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere with complete privacy for you to enjoy your ski hotel in Meribel.