Le Coucou, Méribel, France
Fancy a spot of hot-air ballooning alongside your luxurious spa treatment? There’s nothing like a vertiginous view and blast of cold air on your cheeks to make you feel alive. Or perhaps dog sledging, paragliding or wall climbing is more your thing? At the elegant five-star Hôtel & Spa Le Coucou, a ski-in/ski-out hotel, located at the foot of the Rond Point in Méribel, you can make like James Bond and take part in any number of exhilarating experiences – or simply relax in one of its 55 rooms, including 39 suites, most equipped with private terraces, for breathtaking views of the Three Valleys ski area. Gourmet dining, a top-tier spa and indoor/outdoor pools with wellness treatments top off this heavenly alpine package. Did we mention the off-piste skiing via helicopter (aka “heliskiing”)? Le Coucou Méribel is open from 12 December 2024.
Severin*s, Lech am Arlberg, Austria
Pampering is the name of the game at Severin*s luxury hotel, on the outskirts of the picture-perfect Alpine resort of Lech am Arlberg. There are several sauna options, including a Finnish sauna, infrared cabin and steam bath, while invigorating beauty treatments and refreshing “experience showers” complement the alpine adventures. There are also just nine elegant suites here, complete with state-of-the-art tech and private balconies. The Chalet Residence, over two floors, has its own private cinema, grand piano and whirlpool, too, along with its own kitchen and room service. Meanwhile, the restaurant, under the leadership of head chef Marius Pieper, offers a menu showcasing the best of Alpine cuisine. The views are a bit special, too.
Hotel La Perla, Corvara, the Dolomites, Italy
This one comes with its own treehouse serving champagne, and a labyrinthine wine cellar called “Mahatma” with over 30,000 bottles (‘an echoing chamber where the song of all these wines is at times husky and deep, other times light and bubbly’, according to the website). This exquisite retreat, located in the picturesque town of Corvara in Badia, South Tyrol, is celebrated for its warmth and exceptional service. Here, guests can dine on delightful Tyrolean cuisine and choose from an extensive wine list; sip delicious cocktails and listen to live music in a charming garden bar; treat themselves to a serene basement spa with a stone-paved indoor pool, beauty centre, Turkish bath and sauna; and enjoy rooms and suites, each with their own individual style and stunning views of the Dolomites. All in all, exceptional hospitality.
Le Grand Bellevue, Gstaad, Switzerland
Built in 1912, Le Grand Bellevue is Gstaad’s oldest palace hotel, pipping its better-known rival, the Gstaad Palace, to the post by a year. While the Gstaad Palace’s mythos is based around being a Chopard-flashing, UHNWI-playground, Le Grand Bellevue ploughs a cosier, cheekier furrow. That’s not to say it isn’t lavish: it hosts the Swiss Open on its tennis courts and can arrange chauffeur tours in a 1963 Bentley once owned by Roger Moore, after all. But there’s something welcoming and hygge-like about its House of Hackney-papered walls, chalet-chic rooms and mountain log cabin (Le Petit Chalet), which offers a cornucopia of cheese contentment with its truffle fondues and raclettes. There’s even a big old plaid camel in the lobby (his name is Leonard). And if seductive skiing on your doorstep isn’t your cup of birchermüesli, then the 3,000sqm-spa – with its 17 wellness zones, ice fountain, salt inhalation grotto and herbal/hay saunas – definitely will be.
El Lodge, Sierra Nevada, Spain
Skiing could be Spain’s best-kept secret. While Alpine snow seasons have been shrinking year by year (thanks, climate change), it’s possible to ski on the Sierra Nevada’s snow-capped peaks – Europe’s southernmost ski resort – from November until May. The 20-room El Lodge is perfect for anybody who craves flamenco over fondues, or jamón over Jägermeister for their après-ski ambience. The mountain-based offshoot of the flashy Marbella Club, El Lodge offers ski-in/ski-out access to the 45 pistes (and six off-pistes) on its doorstep (prêt-à-porter equipment hire is available, too). Most rooms have private hot tubs on the terrace, while there’s also an inviting outdoor pool and sundeck to enjoy the Andalusian sun. Meanwhile, activities include evening stargazing, a drive-your-own-snowcat experience and a curious 80-minute “sleep-inducing” ritual in the spa. Not that you’ll be taking many siestas: with the city of Granada and its transcendent Alhambra just 45 minutes’ drive away, there’s more than enough to do.
Grace La Margna, St Moritz, Switzerland
Somewhat implausibly, St Moritz hasn’t had a new hotel in 50 years. That all changed when Grace La Margna pitched up on the high street last year, offering the well-groomed (and some might say aloof) resort’s first accommodation since the days when Brigitte Bardot and Gunter Sachs used to pummel the pistes. London-based architects Divercity and French interior designer Carole Topin have done a superb job blending the original building’s Art Nouveau style with contemporary flourishes such as soft chocolate tones and floor-to-ceiling windows (many boasting postcard-like views of the Engadine Valley). The Monégasque luxury dining restaurant Beefbar is arriving at Grace La Margna this winter, but many guests have been rhapsodising about the cheese éclair aperitivo in the hotel’s No 5 cocktail bar. Although the 20m pool and Finnish sauna are hugely tempting, don’t forget St Moritz’s greatest treasures are powder-based: the peerless slaloming on Corviglia or Diavolezza’s hair-raising black runs.
Lysanne Currie is editor-in-chief of Meet the Leader. She also writes for Robb Report, Diplomat, The Guardian, Influence, Tempus and Investor
