ARTFUL LODGER
Chic contemporary ski hotels in Méribel and Kokhta Gora, plus a remodelled riverside Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok
Snow time LE COUCOU, MƑRIBEL
Swooshing in just in time for the start of the ski season is Méribel’s newest ski-in, ski-out hotel. Paris-based designer Pierre Yovanovitch has conceived the interiors with admirable restraint, spreading Le Coucou’s 55 rooms, suites and chalets over ten cascading levels, with rugged stone walls and expansive terraces. The sense of spaciousness is amplified by the highceilinged interiors lined in blond timber, with alpine-lite furnishings, bespoke designs and the judicious hanging of cuckoo clocks. From every viewpoint, including the cloistered lap pool, full advantage is taken of the surrounding peaks, drawn in through floor-to-ceiling windows. When it comes to après-ski, following a lomi lomi massage in the mood-lit Tata Harper spa, it’s a toss-up between the sizzling Kobe beef teppanyaki in the Beefbar, and the charcuterie and grilled Chilean seabass at the Italianthemed Bianca Neve. Daven Wu
464 Route du Belvédère, Les Allues, tel: 33.4 57 58 37 37, lecoucoumeribel.com. Rates: from €710
Peak viewing ROOMS HOTEL KOKHTA, GEORGIA
Rooms Hotel Kokhta is the latest addition to Temur Ugulava’s sleek, design-oriented lifestyle chain. Set among the spruce trees at the foot of Kokhta Gora – a 2,200m peak in a newly developed resort just a hop and a skip from Bakuriani, where Georgia’s Winter Olympics team traditionally hones its skills – the opening is a full-throated attempt to bring contemporary chic to the Lesser Caucasus. The ark-like wood and glass ski-in, ski-out hotel, conceived by local architect Levan Mushkudiani, sits at the confluence of pistes, hiking and horseback trails, making it ideal for year-round use. For those who prefer indoor pursuits, there’s a health club and a swimming pool, both with expansive views. The modern rustic interiors (including 100 guest rooms) are the work of two young designers, Nata Janberidze and Keti Toloraia, who met while training at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts; think warm, organic spaces with a hint of place that make loving use of wood, stone and polished clay. Warren Singh-bartlett
Bakuriani, Borjomi, tel: 995 32 2720099, roomshotels.com. Rates: from: $190
Thai break MANDARIN ORIENTAL BANGKOK
Among Mandarin Oriental fans, its Bangkok property has, for over 143 years, been a byword for exotic escapism, thanks to its seductive perch on the lively Chao Pharaya river and its quiet attention to detail. Now, following an update of its Author’s and Garden Wings three years ago, the property has turned its attention to its River Wing, with an overhaul that firmly brings the property into the 21st century. The wing’s façade has been extended and internal layout re-arranged, but its room count has been reduced to 301. Now more spacious, the rooms boast floor-to-ceiling windows framing views of the bustling river. The interiors are by Kuala Lumpur’s Jeffrey Wilkes, who has paired updated technology with hammered brass sculptures, rich Jim Thompson fabrics, and teak floors. With the lobby and the hotel’s haul of restaurants also included in the refresh, the Mandarin Oriental is certainly deserving of its status as Bangkok’s grande dame. Lauren Ho 48 Oriental Avenue, Bang Rak, mandarinoriental. com. Rates from: THB23,350 (£600)