Le Coucou | Pierre Yovanovitch Architecture D'Intérieur

Now open, Maisons Pariente, the recently established luxury French hotel group, has unveiled ​Le Coucou, a five-star ski in/ski out hotel in the mountains of Méribel, France. The 55 room hotel, which includes two private chalets, was designed by renowned interior architect, Pierre Yovanovitch. The property, which is perched on the heights of Belvedere, close to Le Rond-Point des Pistes, combines Yovanovitch’s masterful designs with stunning panoramic views with a host of amenities including: two restaurants, a bar, a spa, a fitness center, two swimming pools, one indoor and one outdoor, to name a few.

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 painstaking 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.

Behind the Hotel Design
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.

Rooms & Suites
Rich colours 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 unique character, offering a different surrounding 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.

Chalets
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 are fully equipped with four en-suite bedrooms, 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.

Wellness & Spa
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. Additionally, Le Coucou offers a number of massage treatments for guests.
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 personalised Pilates and yoga classes. Personal trainers will also be available on request.
Le Coucou also offers its youngest guests a holiday to remember at the hotel’s two separate kids’ clubs. The Kid’s Club will offer fun, adventure filled workshops led by childcare staff, a climbing wall and other activities. For guests between the ages of 11 - 15, the Teen Club offers a meet-up space, where table tennis, table football and karaoke can all be enjoyed.

Bar & Restaurants
On the property, 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.

Key Design and Art Elements
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.
Hotel Le Coucou is the third opening for Maisons Pariente in 2019, following closely behind the opening of Hotel Lou Pinet, Saint Tropez in June 2019 and the reopening of the refurbished Hotel Crillon le Brave in Provence on 1s​ t May 2019. The Pariente family have their sights set on Paris, in le Marais, for a fourth addition to the collection in 2021.