Méribel: how to stay, ski and party in France's prettiest Alpine resort
I was lucky enough to visit Méribel twice last season. Once in January when the snow was in its early season powdery prime and the temperature stayed below freezing all day.
The second time in March when most of the village level snow had been washed away and the pistes were coated in decaying rotted mush. Hopefully we were just unlucky and this season will revert to type with plenty of cold bluebird days and metres of powder.
When the skies do clear there is needless to say a near inexhaustible supply of runs and lifts to explore from Méribel, which sits at the heart of the world’s largest lift linked ski area. I have friends who will only ski 3 Vallées – year after year – because of the sheer range and quality of the skiing on offer.
The 3 Vallées pass (a chunky €395 per person for six days this season) opens up around 370 miles of pistes – enough to ski from London to Edinburgh – and 183 lifts. There is also a Family Flex pass, which averages out at around €323.90 for each person in the group, while ski hire starts from around €100.
Méribel is the oldest of the seven linked resorts and arguably the best placed geographically. Its location in the central valley means that trips to explore the Courcheval villages to the east, and the Val Thorens bowl to the west are an easy option even for the later starting skier.
For the very late risers there is plenty in the Méribel valley itself to keep most casual intermediates happy with Méribel’s 90 miles of local slopes. Most are blue, with around 25 per cent red, and under 10 per cent green or black.
Méribel, founded in 1938 by Scottish skier Peter Lindsay whose son David still works as an instructor there, was historically a chalet resort with only limited options for eating out. That is not the case now with the main strip up Rue des Jeux Olympiques lined with places to go to suit most budgets, except the most constrained, from pizza and fondue joints upwards.
One afternoon we did not fancy skiing we wandered into one of Méribel’s five star hotels, the lush Le Kaïla just up the street from the main departure point for the slopes.
The hotel has Méribel’s only Michelin starred restaurant, L’Ekrin, but with the “Authentik” tasting menu priced at €180 and the “Unik” menu at €290, this was not a realistic option. However, you can still enjoy the full five star experience at the hotel at fraction of the price by finding a sofa in the lounge, where coffee or tea and a couple of cakes comes in at less than €20. And we were in no hurry to move.
Other options for a rainy day include The Olympic Centre built for the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics, which is open daily and has a 25m indoor swimming pool, children’s pool, water slide, fitness centre, climbing wall, spa and indoor ice-rink.
But let us not dwell on the negative. No visit to Méribel is complete without visits to its trio of iconic venues. At the end of the skiing day the youth of Méribel descend on Le Rond Point bar and restaurant – universally known as Ronnie. It can be a pretty raucous spot, one of the few in the French Alps to match the levels of debauchery of the some of the legendary Austrian apres-ski destinations such as St Anton’s Krazy Kanguruh.
Rather less manic is Jack’s at the bottom of Rue des Jeux Olympiques, a long standing haunt for skiers enjoying that blissful first post-slopes drink. In the evening it serves a decent pizza and there is often live music.
Finally it would not be right to visit this part of the Alps without experiencing the madness that is La Folie Douce, close to the mid-station of the Saulire gondola. The main restaurant, La Fruitière – the old Savoie word for dairy – is conventional enough, although the industrial scale consumption of magnums of champagne and rosé by the beautiful people give a clue about the target clientele. But it is the frankly eye-popping dance action each afternoon on the catwalks above the huge sun terrace that make it a remarkable experience.
Overall Méribel is a top grade resort that really knows what it is doing and delivers at remarkably high levels – on and off the pistes – just as it has done for almost 90 years. It has pretty much perfected the recipe for a fun winter break. Just add snow.
Where to stay
Le Hotel Coucou – the epitome of luxury Alpine living. Situated at the foot of the Rond-point des pistes, the hotel looks down on a gorgeous vista of snow-covered peaks. Inside, it’s just as pretty: the rooms combine Alpine decor with a chic colour scheme and the three restaurants cater to seafood and meat lovers – as well as fans of the local cuisine. Rooms start from £837, lecoucoumeribel.com
Le Kaïla – located in the centre of the village, this effortlessly elegant hotel combines the traditional wooden decor of Alpine chalets with plush upholstery and even plusher bedding. Head along to L’Ekrin to sample food from the only Michelin-starred restaurant in the entire resort; not an experience to be missed. Rooms start from £1005, lekaila.com
Chalet Les Loups – just 200m from the Doron blue piste, this three-floor ski-in/ski-out chalet is as gorgeous on the outside as it is within. Interiors seamlessly blend trad alpine atmosphere with modern design, featuring vintage-style furniture, a resort-worthy sauna and bedrooms with balconies that face out to the snow caps. The rate includes five-course meals, alcoholic drinks and chauffeur service. There’s even a turn-down pillow scent menu. One week from £15,000, luxurychaletsmeribel.co.uk
La Croix Jean Claude – this historic Alpine lodge in the very centre of Méribel village offer rustic charm in spades. It’s been here since before the place was a skiing hotspot, and while its 15 rooms are small and a tad basic, they’re a vanishingly rare opportunity to enjoy some of the ambiance of the old Méribel. Plus, its restaurant serves up some of the best Savoyarde food anywhere. Rooms start from £106, croixjeanclaude.com
For more options, check out the website SkiYodl for a selection of apartments across the Méribel area.
