Digging deeper into Meribel
This piece is about Meribel, one of the villages at the centre of the Three Valleys, often quoted amongst the most awesome ski areas in Europe and the world.
Read on if you are thinking about going to Meribel, or you actually are going to Meribel. Read on if you would like to be taken through Meribel armed with a cherry-picked curated list of insider tips for staying, skiing, lunching, apres-skiing, dining and dancing. Alternatively, just read on, and I promise nothing bad will happen…
Tip: For readers actually going to Meribel, bookmark this article and the google map (link below) on your mobile device and use them as a reference whilst you are there.
If you’ve skied the Three Valleys before, you’ll know how awesome it is — if you haven’t, read on, and you’ll work out you probably should one day.
And when you do, use HAUTEList to find an exceptional hotel in Meribel (or wherever exceptional hotels reside), drawn from the web’s most stylish publishers and credible hotel sites. Some hotel are expensive and some are not. Some are boutique and some are big hotels. And from time to time we feature a destination and dig a little deeper…
So, welcome to the first in series of destination showcases “According to HAUTLEList”…
Welcome to Meribel
Founded by the Colonel…
The Meribel resort was, in fact, founded by British Colonel Peter Lindsay in the 1930’s off the back of a love of skiing coupled with an unstable political situation in Europe and some remarkable good ol’ fashioned British foresight.
An avid skier, the intrepid Colonel was becoming a little nervous skiing in his usual haunts of Austria and Germany due to the escalating Nazi fervour on those slopes and in those countries. So he popped over to France, came across the valley, purchased land (which is now the Meribel Centre) and built a tiny pulley lift up to what is now Rond Point, Meribel’s wildest apres ski venue.
As we now know, it turned out the Colonel’s political concerns were quite well founded — and his foresight didn’t stop there… After a slight hiatus in the form of WW2 he hired architects and implemented a master plan for the the resort requiring new buildings to be built in the traditional Savoyarde stone, wood and slate. This was instrumental in creating Meribel’s enduring allure.
And it was for this reason Meribel escaped the rather unfortunate “purpose-built” approach to French ski resort development; it continues to have a wonderful traditional alpine feel to it. First made famous by the likes of Brigite Bardot and more recently a destination of choice for Prince William (and Kate), the Beckhams and Emma Watson amongst others, Meribel has that lovely combination of Savoyarde tradition and buzzing international ski resort…
Its a hell of a nice place to walk around!
Waking Up…
Wake Up Somewhere Really Worth Mentioning
Skiing is exhausting. A good ski hotel is one you can slink back to, then sink into, as dusk hits and last lifts are called. We’ve scoured the web for the publishers and hotel sites that know what discerning travellers expect and know the hotels that can deliver — and there are three absolute crackers in Meribel.
Hotel L’Helios is a door to door ski hotel. It has a private cinema (isn’t that enough in itself?). It also has cosy, naturally timbered interiors, smouldering log fires, a spa with a stunning indoor pool and a south facing terrace perfect for long village lunches in the early spring sun. Its a total ski-in/ski-out proposition a very short walk to the buzzy centre but enough of a distance to feel slightly removed from the buzz. All the 18 rooms and suites are beautifully appointed and a few are set up to be flexible enough to suit families. And all that aside, it has a CINEMA!…
Meribel’s first 5 star design hotel, Le Kaila is substantially bigger with 39 chambres, yet, as The Style Traveller observes, despite its size and star credentials, it remains “friendly, welcoming and has a deliciously, cosy atmosphere”. This ambience is reflected in the rooms which are a rustic combination of untreated timber and big beds with fluffy, furry throws on top of high quality bed linen.
It was listed by FT How to Spend It as a being amongst the best “chic and child friendly hotels in the french alps” — and it has a ski concierge! For those that have never experienced the game changing nature of a in-house ski concierge, you must… Imagine turning up to the ski room in your hotel after a hard cold day in the snow, fumbling with your boots, leaning your ski’s against the wall, watching your ski’s fall and knock over everyone else’s leaning skis like a set of alpine dominos, finding your shoes and finding space on the drying rack for your aforementioned boots — all whilst profusely apologising to everyone in the room for the aforementioned alpine dominos trick… Now imagine simply handing your skis and boots to the ski concierge who will make sure they are dry and ready for tomorrow — game changing!!
There’s a 500m2 spa with a huge indoor pool which features hydromassage seats and an aquatic course. And it’s surrounded by glass, offering what the FT How to Spend It describes as “breathtaking views of the surroundings” .
Le Grand Coeur & Spa appears on the HAUTLEList by way of it being a Relais & Chateaux property. Enough said? Perhaps… But perhaps not for the more inquisitive of readers who have managed to digest Meribel this far. Le Grand Coeur of Meribel is most certainly Le Grand Dame of Meribel — dating back to 1952, it was one of the first to be built on Colonel Lindsay’s infant resort and shortly thereafter was accredited by the venerable Relais & Chateaux.
A 45+ year-old Relais & Chateaux badge doesn’t just happen by accident — apart from service levels as sky high as the resort itself, there’s a fine dining restaurant presided over by head chef Marc Dach, and a piano bar with spectacular views of Mont-Vallon.
And (naturally) there’s a 230m2 spa with hammen, sauna jacuzzi and treatment rooms.
Skiing…
On Mountain Skiing
Other than the obvious answer, “at the ski room of your HAUTEList Hotel” where does one begin when it comes to the terrain in not one, but three huge valleys? The oft-quoted figures — 600km of pistes and 183 lifts —just don’t do it justice, so before one even starts, one already finds oneself overwhelmed by the paradox of choice offered by this huge ski area.
Being in the centre of the Three Valleys, Meribel is extremely well placed for accessibility. And as astutely observed by the Telegraph, Meribel’s sheltered setting compared to neighbouring valleys means its good selection of blues and reds leading into resort are protected by the steep-sided mountains and enjoy more settled weather conditions that in the adjacent broader valleys.
For beginners there are some really gentle slopes around Altiport which are an quick ride away on the Morel chair and benign enough to minimise (but not remove) the probability that you’ll end up on your head at least once.
Read on intermediate to advanced skiers…
The iconic mountain separating Meribel and Courchevel is Sauliere. Creux, accessible from the top of the Sauliere is best in the morning after it has been piste-bashed overnight and is a quite a good long run to warm up for the day ahead. But generally, if you are planning to ski just within the Meribel valley, the Tougnete side, closest to Val Thorens, is best in the morning sun and the Sauliere side is great in the afternoon sun. And, according to the Guardian, for your last run home in the sun (assuming there is sun), Biche from the top of Sauliere is immense…
And some other tips worth thinking about:
- The ski area around Mont Du Vallon (mostly red runs), at 2952m above sea level, up the Meribel Vally is awesome. Don’t argue — just go there…
- Allamands from the top of the Plattieres lift is a long rolling cruiser heading down towards Les Menuires;
- Jerusalem (red) is rarely groomed but, when it is, it’s a hidden gem heading towards St Martin;
- In bad weather, head over to the tree-sheltered area around La Tania. Folyeres is is a particularly nice option and either side of the run is good for some fun off piste tree skiing…
- Anyone looking for moguls, take the Plan de l’homme chair up from Meribel and take Bosses down;
- Take the Roc Defer, the Olympique chair from Meribel to ski Face, the run purpose built for the 1992 Olympics.
Any learned reader with their own Meribel or Three Valleys terrain tips, is most welcome to place them in the comments here or email them to hello@hautelist.co.
Lunching…
On Mountain Dining
Long lunching or quick munching? Is lunch on the mountain a pit-stop to refuel and get out carving again, or does it mark the end of morning-ski and herald the beginning of apes-ski? Or is it just lunch? Decisions…
Owned by La Folie Douce, La Fruitière is toward the upper end of the price spectrum and an excellent experience. The interior design is surprisingly quirky, the service is great and the Savoyarde menu is well worth checking out, especially if a longer lunch is on the cards. It’s right next door to La Folie Douce, which makes it a pretty convenient next stop, if after lunch you’re done skiing for the day…
Le Roc Tania between Meribel and Courcheval is a welcoming family-run mountain hut at the top of the Loze lift a short blue run above Meribel. They have pastas and salads and, of course, a sun soaked terrace with panoramic views… But the one thing that stands out here is the Tartiflette — don’t miss it!
Le Zinc is the luxurious signature restaurant of the Altiport Hotel. Its most certainly not a Savoyarde mountain hut — rather, its more of a light filled high-end modern alpine restaurant — it’s really nice!! The position is especially excellent because it’s right on the nursery slopes which makes it easy to meet up with friends whose skiing is perhaps not as developed as their palettes.
Just near the mid point of the Rhodes bubble, slightly above Meribel, is L’Allodis (part of Hotel Allodis). It has a sophisticated menu in a casual setting and is reasonably easy to get to from Meribel Village — a good lunch spot for skiers and non-skiers with sweeping valley views.
Restaurant Le 320 at Sauliere (pictured above) is one of the three restaurants at the top of the Sauliere bubble. Perched 2700 feet above sea level, only a fabricated adjective like panorific will describe the view over everything with any justice! A must. La Sandwicherie Maison is the less formal option in the same complex.
La Soucoupe — a rustic mountain treat located above Courchevel 1850. This one’s probably slightly better for less performance oriented food… The grilled meats accompanied by some excellent wine is par for the course here. And if you’re lucky enough to get some sun, theres a pretty large terrace too.
Bouc Blanc is a traditional mountain restaurant located at the top of La Tania bubble. It has a huge terrace which is particularly great on sunny spring days and it has a couple of levels of dining inside.
Located under the Rhodes lift, Le Coeur de Cristal has two dining rooms, a wide terrace and a modern feel to its interiors — plus a snack bar to boot. Another option just a tumble up the mountain from Meribel town.
Often frequented by the Meribel ski instructors, Adray Telebar has a casual mountain brasserie style menu, a terrace, views and an easy honest traditional menu.
Apres Skiing…
It Would Be Rude Not To…
At around 3pm anyone near the mid station of the Sauliere express might be forgiven for wondering if the lunchtime Bordeaux has spirited them away across the Mediterranean to Ibiza in snow. This is the Folie Douce, a kind of Alpine Nikki Beach with outposts in Val d’Isere, Val Thorens, Megeve, Alpe d”Huez and of course Meribel. You’ll know it when you see it and your probably hear it before you know it. It may not be your thing, but if for no other reason, ski past for the spectacle and witness the madness — or watch THIS video.
A house DJ spinning thumping euro beats, with hundreds of bright young things doing the ski-boot rhumba on tables quaffing champagne, mulled wine and beer or whatever’s going. In true Ibiza style its not uncommon to find a live sax player, dancers and a crowd that has come for a single purpose. Theres some areas that can be reserved for groups and no shortage of excellent people watching — but it can get cold so the best time to come is when the sun is out. A good itinerary is to book a long lunch at the most refined and excellent adjacent La Fruitiere and then pop over next door around 3pm as the party starts to build.
Come 5pm La Folie Douce turns off the taps but no one need worry — the Rond Pont, a short shaky ski away, is not far off hitting full swing. This Meribel institution is probably the best apres ski at your disposal and it would accordingly be frightfully rude not to partake. There’s a large terrace which supports some seriously raucous partying and some killer views whilst euro beats emanate live and loud out of the DJ booth. Often a band kicks in too and as the days get longer into spring they put on some pretty decent special events. The bar on the top floor has waitresses who will bring you big glasses of beer — an especially useful service if things are super crowded around the bars below. For some reason toffee vodka is the traditional beverage of choice at the Rond Point — so if you must, you must — and you probably should… So for those keen on a lively apres ski it’s pretty impossible to get past this place.
But for those looking for something lively but not insane, Jacks Bar or La Taverne are both great. The former can be stumbled upon right at the bottom by the Chaudanne (and often has bands perform around 5–6pm), and the latter is right in the centre. And Le Pub , situated below Hotel Doron is probably the closest and most convenient for quenching that aching thirst that happens as soon as those skis come off — it is actually almost an extension of the piste itself.
There are of course alternatives to the madness and the pubs. There’s the more refined more upmarket Le Poste de Secours which the Guardian describes as the classy alternative to Brit aprés-ski favourites Le Pub and La Taverne. Le Poste is an intriguing mix of rustic and ultra-modern with an ambience punctuated with DJ sets from apes ski throughout the evening to closing and, most important of all — a decent champagne list…
And if tea is more your… err cup of tea, a relaxing lounge in the… err… lounge at any of our illustrious three HAUTEList hotels is most definitely prescribed, perhaps along with cakes and a brandy as well…
Dining…
Deserve a Table
Skiing Consumes 2000–3000 calories a day, so feel free to let loose upon the Meribel dining scene…
As the name suggests, Le Grand Coeur is the signature restaurant of the hotel. It is more formal affair than many of the alpine eateries so if haute cuisine of the Savoyarde specialty and signature chefs are your kind of thing, then its hard to overlook this one.
And whilst we are on the subject of fine hotel restaurants, L’Erkin at Le Kaila with its cryptically self described “nervous cuisine without heaviness” should also be on the signature chef aficionado’s radar if for no other reason pretty much every dish on the menu has lashings of truffles or truffle oil (a very sensible creative culinary approach).
And on the signature chef radar should also appear the Restaurant at L’Helios.
With its amazing terrace, it is perfect for a moderately casual lunch but, come dinnertime, it turns into a modern fine dining restaurant with both its ambience and food done with traditional and comfortable flair.
Deserve a Cosy Table
Despite strong competition, the leader in the “least suitable for vegetarians” category would most certainly be Chez Kiki a meat lovers paradise set around a central open grill on which all sorts of hearty melt-in-the-mouth cuts are cooked for the amassed carvivores by none other than Kiki himself, a Meribel legend who, by many accounts, has been doing just this since the days of our intrepid Colonel.
Aux Petits Oignons is also not far off an institution in the town mainly for its good food, decent pricing — and its open fire and buzzy open bar area both of which become increasingly heated as the night progresses…
And, La Grange, with its old wooden beams and quaint chalet feels like it might have been around since those days too. Of course it hasn’t, and neither has the food which surprisingly fish and seafood oriented — but its a good piste-side option for lunch and a great dinner spot.
In contrast theres also the sleek clean modern Bistrot d’Oree in the hotel of the same name which is worth a look too.
Deserve a Casual Table
But often in the alps one isn’t looking for a silver service. Munching down a pizza or a steak as the empty carafes of house red accumulate is really the heart and soul of Alpine dining, especially if you’re in a group. The likes of Le Refuge and Evolution are perfectly suited to this kind of thing — they serve versions of that casual honest and basic combination of pizzas, meat and alpine joviality that you just can’t find in anywhere else.
Or just go to Jacks Bar for beer pizzas, burritos — and beer…
After Dinnering…
Two Nightclubs and Some Bars
There are few places better announced by what they were, rather than what they are… However O’Sullivans can be framed perfectly by the former glories of the infamous Dicks T-Bar which it took over (and improved) recently. On taking charge of these hallowed halls, O’Sullivan’s did a new fitout, added a LOUD sound system improved the layout, added a much needed cloakroom and recruited the best DJ’s in Meribel to spin… And for those inclined, yes private tables can be reserved (be rude not to) in the main bar and there is bottle service! Check out the Facebook page for guest DJ’s and events etc… All together, this is probably the premier club in Meribel however that’s not to say there aren’t other options.
The other club in Meribel is Le Loft which is far less Anglo and far more Franco. It’s divided into a busy dance floor and lounge area toward the back of the bar. There are far less English accents and perceptive readers may quite correctly construe from this fact that this translates to there being far less English that frequent the club. So if you’re French, an Anglo Francophile or even a non-Anglo Francophile (or just fancy late night dancing and drinking) this could be the one one for you….
But lets not (nor ever) forget the afore mentioned Le Post de Secours a smart, sexy lounge bar with DJ’s spinning until 2am every night and which genuinely wouldn’t look out of place in London or Paris. After dinner, champagne and mojito’s are more the standard order for the stylish clientele here — or if one can’t decide, there’s (conveniently) a Champagne Mojito on the menu to sip sitting around the low lounge tables or mixes around the bar. Earlier on there’s often some live music and later on things become livelier when the DJ comes on.
And then there are the more pub style bars that were mentioned earlier in the Apres Ski section — Jacks Bar, La Taverne or Le Pub ( below Hotel Doron) — there may even be customers still in their ski boots…
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