Le Grand Coeur and Spa

We pre-booked a spa visit for Monday this week but we were only told on arrival that we had to pay in cash, as the hotel has had all British and US credit and debit cards blocked. Carol and Victoria were excellent masseurs and the spa is beautiful but I’m very disappointed that this hotel chose to withhold this information and is now funded by roubles.

We stayed at Le Grand Coeur for the first time after many years of visiting Meribel and having drinks in the bar there, always thinking what a great place it would be to stay. How disappointed we were. Two things stand out as fabulous at this hotel. The location is superb, directly above the town center and easily accessed by stairs at the back of the hotel and also at the bottom of the Doron piste, so it really is ski in, ski out. The second positive is the public space, a lovely bar and restaurant to spend the evening hours. Unfortunately the hotel bedroom that we were given was shocking. One of their 'Classic' rooms at €540 a night, it was very old, very small and very disappointing. We gave the hotel the opportunity to put us in a different room but they were unable to do this (understandable if they are full). Despite making it very clear that we were not happy with the room to the reception staff, who seemed a little embarrassed at its 'Classic' status, at no point were we approached by hotel management to talk about it, or offered any sort of goodwill gesture, such as a reduced rate or even a free drink. Poor show. The hotel website mostly shows their renovated rooms, which are probably much better, with just one photo showing a classic room that looks much nicer than ours. The room had outside access to the large terrace which we thought would be a treat to sit on in the afternoon sun. Unfortunately, the terrace is dangerously full of holes in the wooden planking (see photos) and has not been adequately maintained. The ski room is good, the small spa area is very pleasant and the staff are a mix of pleasant and helpful (bar) and indifferent (breakfast & reception). We felt a bit like we were privileged to be allowed to stay there at times. That isn't to say we didn't spend some lovely hours in the bar, listening to the live piano music and watching the world go by. If you get a decent room, then you'll probably love it. Unfortunately the room spoiled our trip and we tried to spend as little time in it as possible and we aren't minded to give them another try.

We were very pleased to discover this hotel for our stay in 2023, especially after a mediocre experience in 4 and 5-star hotels in Courchevel and Val d'Isere. The staff were superb. We will definitely return.

What a wonderful hotel! I travelled with my family to Meribel for a ski trip. We had the best stay at Le Grand Coeur. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful, the food was incredible and the location was perfect. The hotel is just above the centre of Meribel and there are steps outside allowing you to easily reach the town centre in just a few minutes. However the hotel is so quiet you would have no idea the centre is so close! The hotel is ski-in-ski-out which is perfect and is easily accessible via a blue run. Our rooms had a lovely terrace that got the sun and great views of the pistes above Chaudanne. The beds were extremely comfortable and the bathrooms were a good size and equipped with all the amenities you could want (including robes and slippers). We ate dinner at the hotel one evening a long with breakfast daily. The evening food was spectacular and very inventive. The breakfast selection was delicious and covered everything we could wish for. The bar area was very relaxing and we were well looked after every evening by the lovely bar staff. The spa was great at the hotel, especially the jacuzzi. There is also a games room with a table football table, pinball machine and PS5 if you have kids. Highly recommend this hotel for anyone wanting a luxurious and relaxing stay in the heart of Meribel. Thank you to all the wonderful staff who looked after us during our stay. We will be back again!

Having been a guest at the Grand Coeur for man years we were very disappointed with the continued decline of this once great property. A rotting (and dangerous) wooden terrace, unmodernised rooms and the loss of a great chef (Mark Dasch) to be replaced by a over complicating new one. The management are nowhere to be seen and one gets the feeling the hotel is on its last legs. What a shame!

Cette année, nous avons choisi le Grand Cœur à Méribel pour notre séjour au ski, et l’expérience a été excellente. L’hôtel excelle dans son domaine : le service est irréprochable, chaque demande reçoit une réponse immédiate, et le personnel est à la fois professionnel et chaleureux. On s’y sent véritablement bien. Un grand plus pour la location de ski : les équipements sont directement livrés dans le ski room de l’hôtel (si vous louez votre équipement dans la boutique partenaire) ce qui est un vrai gain de confort et de temps. De plus, les pistes de ski sont proches et facilement accessibles. Nous repartons avec de merveilleux souvenirs et ne manquerons pas de revenir lors d’un prochain séjour au ski !