Where to Stay in Meribel
The Méribel ski resort has multiple villages connected by lifts & pistes from the bottom to the top of the valley. Like its neighbour Courchevel or the nearby La Plagne & Les Arcs, the village names are similar & prone to cause confusion about where one is staying. From top to bottom the five main villages are Meribel Mottaret, Meribel Centre, Meribel Village, Les Allues & Brides les Bains – easy!
Check out the locations of the Meribel villages via the Meribel Valley Map below.
Meribel has loads of luxurious chalets & apartments that are both self-catering or fully catered, including many with in-house babysitting and other services. There are also various Meribel hotels, although these are not as prolific as the chalets.
Search & book all hotels, apartments & chalets via our Meribel Ski Accommodation Listings page.
Méribel Mottaret
At the top of the resort, Meribel Mottaret is a purpose-built ski village at an altitude of 1750m. Ski-in ski-out accommodation is the norm as is an associated high price tag for a night’s lodging. It receives the most sun of any of the Meribel villages, excepting the higher parts Meribel Centre. Mottaret is connected by lift & piste trail to Meribel Centre, plus has its own pulse gondola & funicular to connect the highest (Le Hameau) & lowest parts of the village. The regular Line D free ski bus connects Mottaret to Chaudanne & Meribel Centre from early morning to around 9.30pm.
Méribel Centre
Méribel Centre is the largest of the villages & more charming than Mottaret. Starting at 1450m elevation, it is replete with picture book chalets up to an elevation of 1700m (Altiport). Suffice to say affordability of lodgings goes down as elevation goes up! The absence of high-rise buildings has caused the village to sprawl out somewhat across the hill, so a shuttle bus or short walk may be required to get to the ski lifts or slopes. That said, many of the better establishments are stacked up the mountain along the 'Doron' ski run so are close to, if not actually, ski-in ski-out. The main commercial sector of Meribel Centre is connected to the 'Doron' slope by an escalator next to the Tourist Office. Mèribel's main ski lift hub, Chaudanne, is a short stroll or ski from Meribel Centre. The Line C free ski bus runs regularly connecting the disparate parts of Meribel Centre to each other from early morning until 9.30pm.
Méribel Village
Only slightly lower than Meribel Centre, the original Méribel Village is at 1400m elevation. It is small comparative to all the other villages & perfect for those wanting a peaceful ski holiday experience in a more traditional French village setting. It is connected to the broader resort by free ski bus, a chairlift & piste trail, plus is close to the Le Raffort gondola station. The Line A ski bus connects the village to Meribel Centre & the ski lifts at Chaudanne from early morning until 10.00pm.
Les Allues
The traditional village of Les Allues at 1100m elevation is the lowest connected by piste trail to the Meribel ski resort. The gondola from Brides les Bains in the valley has a station on the outskirts of town connecting Les Allues to Meribel Centre. The gondola station & new 'Villages' ski trail allow for amazing off-piste descents from the high alpine ridge beyond the Roc de Fer, then tree-skiing & an easy return on the trail. As with Méribel Village, the Line A free ski bus connects the village to Meribel Centre & the ski lifts at Chaudanne.
Brides les Bains
Away from the resort villages & in the valley at 600m elevation is Brides les Bains. It has a wide range of hotels & self-contained apartments plus a ski lift link up to Meribel via Les Allures making for a versatile, affordable base from which to explore the entire region. Note that Brides-les-Bains has no return ski trail, so a gondola lift download is required at the end of the day. The journey up to Meribel Centre in the gondola takes 25min.
Search & book here for all Brides-les-Bains accommodation.
Other Lodging Options
The town of Moutiers makes a good (& cheap) base to explore the region & make day trips to Meribel. Some handy hotels are located just near the train station. Travel times to the resort are around 45min by bus or car. Buses leave from the train station.