Hôtel Le Coucou Méribel

We recently spent a week at Le Coucou and all I can say is wow. The hotel is cozy and inviting, the rooms are large and the staff is kind and helpful. We stayed with our 3 children and made use of every inch of the hotel! We ate at all 3 fabulous restaurants and the bar, we used the spa and gym daily, had spa treatments, and of course, we skied! This was our first time skiing in Europe, and Méribel did not disappoint. The hotel had a perfect ski in ski out location, and even on the first day when my youngest was hesitant to ski down the blue out front they showed us how to ski across the run and jump on a lift to some green runs. The ski room was amazing, they were efficient, kind and so helpful. We arrived to our skis set up at waiting each morning and the guys were so encouraging and complimentary of the kids, they made them feel amazing! It was great to have the ski shop there also as my one sons goggles somehow broke in his hands right after seeing a new pair that he wanted! lol. Honestly the only negative I could give this hotel is its location in regards to the town. You needed to be driven to and from shops and restaurants, and with only 2 vans the wait could be a while. But they always showed up with a friendly smile so it was not that big of a deal. I guess I just didn't understand how the towns were laid out there, and had assumed they were more like aspen or vail where most things are in close proximity. We had a crazy blizzard day while we were there and the hotel arranged a car for us to take the kids to Aquamotion in Courcheval which they loved. We also did a shopping afternoon in Courcheval which was really fun. Overall Le Coucou is fabulous and you can't go wrong staying here! The staff even brought gifts for our children on Christmas which was so kind!

Beautiful newer hotel on the slopes. The hotel is true ski-in and ski-out. The Ski Room staff is incredible - you couldn’t find a more welcoming and helpful group anywhere. They knew us by name when we walked in and treated us like family, helping us with equipment, area recommendations, etc. The service by all the hotel staff was great. The rooms are large and very comfortable, with the best hotel mattresses we have ever experienced. All the rooms seem to have balconies and good views. If you enjoy après-ski, the crazy Le Rond Point is within easy walking distance. Staying in Meribel, the valley between Courchevel and Val Thorens, makes moving between the Three Valleys fairly easy.

This is based on the premise that the hotel charges €1000/night in high season (twice the amount for which you will be pampered at a 5* hotel in the Maldives 🙂). Pros: — Relative to French standards, very big rooms and HUGE beds, I think ours was at least 2 meters wide. Quality of sleep is good, however our friends complained about a noise coming from the hotel’s garage at midnight — so avoid rooms on the 9th floor. — AMAZING service at the ski room. They even help you to put on and take off your ski boots. They also take care of all your equipment. Very convenient! They also have a serving area with snacks, tea and coffee and hot chocolate. Adding some non-sweet snack would be a great compliment to the current selection. — The hotel is conveniently located with a ski in and ski out position on a slope (some hotels advertise it but then you have to walk 300 m in your boots). — Tasteful design in the rooms and restaurants — Generally good service and food at the restaurants (but exorbitant prices). They also invite live music performers which is nice. Cons: — The staff at reception seems underqualified and has poor English command to the point where sometimes it was difficult to get an answer to very simple questions like “What is the price of the ski passes for 4 hrs/full day?”, “What is the price for a room upgrade?” For every easiest question they go to their supervisor who is there only during work hours so good luck if you have an emergency at night, for example. — Some Deluxe rooms are located too low relative to snow level and thus have unattractive view, so check this in advance. — The hotel is very child friendly. While having dinner with an average bill of 150€ per person you will be surrounded by running and crying children, which to my understanding, doesn’t really match neither the style nor the price range of the hotel. And the staff does nothing about that. Of the three restaurants available at the resort, at least one could have been adult only. — The breakfast is OK especially relative to the average French breakfast you’d get in this area, but not 5*. — The more shocking experience has been that kids are allowed into spa. So imagine you come back from a skiing day and want to wind down in a jacuzzi or the pool. Well, you won’t be able to, as you will be surrounded by kids running around, shouting and jumping into the pool with splashes. This is again something I’d expected in a communal swimming pool with a 5€ entry fee and not in a luxury 5* in the mountains at €1000/night. — But the most disappointing element for us was the penny-pinching attitude of the hotel. For example, I was shocked to be charged €10 for an avocado toast for breakfast! You’d think that should have been included into breakfast, considering the hotel’s 5* status and again, pricing? I was surprised they didn’t charge me for a second coffee 🙂 Room service (€10 per person) is also chargeable which is nonsense at most hotels in this category. Ove