Saint Roch opens this winter on the Bellecôte piste, the fifth Maisons Pariente address in France and the second the family has taken on in the Alps. The building has been part of Courchevel 1850 for years, familiar to anyone who has skied down into the resort at dusk, and it returns now under a new identity. Leslie Kouhana and Kimberley Cohen have shaped it around their own childhood holidays, which explains why so much of it feels remembered rather than designed.

The house sits at the foot of the slopes, a few minutes’ walk from the centre of 1850, with the 3 Vallées running directly from the door. Guests push off after breakfast with skis already waxed and come back in the afternoon with cold cheeks and wet gloves, which in this resort counts for a great deal.

Patrick Pariente founded the collection with his two daughters, and every house in it keeps a personality of its own while working from a single idea of hospitality: warm, attentive and human. Saint Roch joins Le Coucou in Méribel, Lou Pinet in Saint-Tropez, Crillon le Brave in Provence and Hôtel Le Grand Mazarin in Paris.

Getting there

The final stretch can be taken slowly by car, winding up through the valley as the pines thicken and the air turns thin and clean, or by train to Moûtiers, or by private helicopter into the Courchevel Altiport, a matter of minutes from the front door. However guests arrive, the mountain announces itself well before the house does.

The architecture comes from the Paris studio Friedmann & Versace, founded by Virginie Friedmann and Delphine Versace, and built on a quiet dialogue between heritage, craft and contemporary design. Inside, the references travel east to Slavic dachas and ancient Persian kingdoms. Wood carries most of the texture, warm underfoot and dark with age, played against stone and heavy textiles that swallow sound. The effect at the threshold is immediate: boots come off, shoulders drop, and the cold stays outside.

Slopeside mornings

The house sits on the Bellecôte slope itself, which gives it privileged access to the 3 Vallées, one of the largest ski areas anywhere. An on-site ski shop handles equipment and fittings in-house, so mornings begin with boots already warm and edges already sharp. There is no shuffling along an icy pavement with skis over one shoulder, and no queue at a rental desk.

Beyond the skiing, the concierge team builds each day around each guest. That might be dogsledding through the forest, or snowmobiling once the light has gone and the pistes have emptied. It might equally be a helicopter over the peaks, or dinner served high on the mountain with the resort glittering far below. Guests who come purely for French mountain living are looked after just as carefully as the ones who ski from first lift to last.

Rooms and suites

Thirty-seven rooms and suites are arranged around the shared spaces, each with its own character and all speaking the same language. Warm materials, low light and enveloping textures give the bedrooms an atmosphere that is intimate and timeless at once.

The Superior, Deluxe and Prestige rooms move from snug to expansive, gaining wider volumes, more sculptural pieces and longer views as they climb the building. The suites open into proper living spaces, beginning with the Junior Suite and its first real salon. The Deluxe Suite has generous proportions made to suit a couple, a family, or a whole winter’s stay.

The Prestige Suites

Two Prestige Suites occupy the fifth floor, each bookable on its own, their interconnecting spaces framing the mountain through every window. Morning light arrives early up here and lands on the wood, and by late afternoon the peaks turn pink while the rooms hold onto the last of the warmth. A family or a group of friends gets a private tier of the house, with the noise of arrivals and departures somewhere far below.

Add the three adjoining rooms and the arrangement becomes the Penthouse, the entire top floor given over to a single party. Children can find their own corners, adults can retreat to theirs, and the front door closes on everyone else. Meals, ski fittings and evening plans are all handled from within.

Living and Dining

The living room is the heart of the house, with deep sofas drawn around the fire and conversation that runs long over a hot chocolate. The wood smells faintly of resin, the fire ticks and settles, and boots are left somewhere near the door. Time passes here without much being achieved, which is exactly what a ski afternoon should offer.

The restaurant keeps the light low and the tables generously spaced, a room built for coming in from the cold and staying put. The bar takes care of the hours between the slopes and dinner, all golden light, deep seating and cocktails built for balance, with the first sip usually arriving before the cold has entirely left the fingers. Younger guests have the Kids Club, a world of their own where they set the pace and nobody is hurrying them into ski boots.

Hammam hours

The spa takes its inspiration from Ottoman hammams and Caucasian palaces. An indoor pool sits at the centre of the space, and beside it sits a marble mosaic shower designed by Pierre Mesguich, cool underfoot after the heat.

A light-filled fitness space and a quiet room complete the floor, so guests can work before the heat or sleep after it. Treatments come from Tata Harper, the house known for high-performance natural skincare.