Paris and New York-based designer Pierre Yovanovitch has recently completed Le Coucou, a five-star design-focused ski hotel in the mountains of Méribel, France. Perched on the heights of Belvedere, close to Le Rond-Point des Pistes, the 55 room hotel, which includes two private chalets, combines Yovanovitch’s masterful designs with stunning panoramic views of its soundings.
As one of Yovanovitch’s most ambitious design projects to date, Le Coucou is a stunning reflection of the designer’s unparalleled approach to regionally-integrated design with a contemporary flair. With over 130 site-specific furniture and lighting pieces specially created for the project, made in partnership with skilled craftsmen throughout Europe, the hotel took over two years to design. Each facet of the property’s design, from the architectural build-out of the hotel, to the custom design work and painstakingly detailed elegance of the interior decor is meant to reflect the history and traditional aesthetic of the region while also adding Yovanovitch’s taste for contemporary art and signature playful aesthetic.
Buttressed by a mountain and perched on a premier ski slope, the hotel’s structure was designed in tiered levels to maximize the view of the alps whilst also allowing for guests to effortlessly ski in and out of the property. With all aspects of the hotel meticulously and uniquely crafted from the building structure down to the bespoke wallpaper, Le Coucou is not only a luxury winter resort, but a marvel of design.
Rich colors and patterned floor coverings bring character and warmth to each one of the 39 suites and 16 rooms available on the property. Every room, suite and chalet on the premises was designed to have a unique character, offering different surroundings for every hotel guest. The lighting and furniture of each bedroom was crafted for the property to reflect the traditional alpine style along with Pierre’s signature aesthetic of understated elegance. Each room features floor to ceiling bespoke elements, from custom floor covering, seating, wallpaper and lighting, created specifically by Yovanovitch and team to reflect the characteristics of the region and to play up the stunning views available in each room. Art is also central to the hotel design, with a selection of more than 160 artworks specially chosen by Yovanovitch for the property.
Centered around the stunning view of the surrounding alps, the two four-bedroom ski-in ski-out luxury chalets combine five-star luxury amenities and Yovanovitch’s contemporary vision with the warmth and detailed craftsmanship of a traditional alpine home. Each is fully equipped with four en-suite bedrooms, a spacious living area and a games area as well as a private ski room, pool and spa. The spacious chalets showcase Yovanovitch’s mastery of volume and architectural angles.
The hotel features an indoor or outdoor pool, six massage treatment rooms, and a sauna area for deep relaxation after a day of skiing or invigorating nautical experience. The pool area provides views of the stunning vista outdoors. The aligned indoor and outdoor pools are divided by a bay window creating a stunning, trompe-l’oeil effect and stunning view of the outdoors.
In addition to the pool area, guests are invited to use the fitness space, offering panoramic views across the peaks, will boast state-of-the-art fitness equipment alongside a boxing room and dedicated area for personalized Pilates and yoga classes.
At Le Coucou, guests will be able to choose from two restaurants as well as a bar and cigar room. The restaurant, Bianca Neve, will offer Italian cuisine by renowned chef Riccardo Giraudi for Le Coucou, featuring a menu of shared antipasti, exceptional cheese and charcuterie selections and other timeless classics, paired with a glass of wine from the adjoining wine cellar. Bianca Neve is underlined by Yovanovitch’s artistic mark with a strong choice of bold colors and rich materials. The restaurant features an open cellar and a ceiling fresco.
The Beefbar restaurant will offer the rare meats including Black Angus from Argentina and the USA, Australian Wagyu and Japanese Kobe, to name a few. In a nod to the hotels’ name, Yovanovitch created a wall of cuckoo clocks in the Beefbar space as a reflection of the traditional decor of the region. The hotel’s bar features a floor to ceiling view of the surrounding mountains as well as an outdoor terrace allowing guests to enjoy their beverages al fresco. The warm, inviting ambience of the bar and restaurant invite guests to gather for a heartening meal and drink after a long day of skiing.
Upon entering the hotel, guests are greeted with a stunning fresco on the five-meter-high dome ceiling of the entry created by artist Matthieu Cossé and commissioned by Yovanovitch to fit into the unique shape of the space. Every inch of the hotel is an exploration of Yovanovtich’s mastery of volume, proportion and painstaking attention to materiality, including the use of wood, leather, metal, ceramics and glass. The hotel also showcases a number of blue-chip artworks selected personally by Yovanovitch to fit the space, including Ugo Rondinone, Eduardo Chilida, Natalia Jaime Cortez, Alexander Calder, François Morellet, Claude Viallat.