Michelin Guide to rank hotels starting 2024 with Michelin Key

Image credit: Sourced from Michelin

The Michelin Guide team announced a landmark development for the global hospitality industry starting 2024 with the launch of the Michelin Key.

The team known for its ranking of restaurants for over 120 years, will for the first time, rank hotels.

The team has selected more than 5,000 hotels and accommodations around the world, according to a statement released on Wednesday. It said, “To highlight establishments offering exceptional hotel and travel experiences, the Michelin Guide unveils the Michelin Key, a special distinction which will be implemented from 2024.

“The Michelin Key is a clear, reliable indication for travelers.”

The gastronomy publication owned by the French tiremaker announced that it would start designating “the most exceptional hotels across the world using a key emblem.”

“Just as the Michelin Star distinguishes those restaurants that are at the peak of their art, the Michelin Key recognises the most exceptional hotels throughout the world. It is also an acknowledgment of the teamwork of committed enthusiastic hospitality professionals,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide.

Michelin Key

Like restaurants, the key will be an independent recommendation of establishments that constitute true destinations.

The Guide explained that it has put its expertise at the service of travellers to support them in their search for personalised experiences. “In response to the hyper-standardisation of accommodation (design, interior decoration, attention to detail in the room, etc.), we wish to arouse the emotion of customers by directing them towards establishments that excel in all areas—architectural choices, the art of craftsmanship and detail to doing a job, and asserting your own personality.”

The first Michelin Keys will be announced in the first half of 2024 from a pre-selected group of 5,300 hotels in 120 countries, the company said.

It is based on 5 criteria:

• A destination unto itself: The hotel contributes to the local experience
• Excellence in architecture and interior design
• Quality and regularity of service, comfort and maintenance
• Singularity reflecting the personality of the establishment, its unique character
• Consistency between the quality of the experience and the price paid

With its selection, developed independently of existing labels and without pre-established quotas, the Guide has three objectives:

• Guide travellers to boutique accommodations that offer much more than a room for a night
• Precede or extend a gastronomic outing with a memorable hotel stay
• Allow you to choose, book and comment on your stay on a single independent platform

The move comes almost half-a-decade after Michelin acquired Tablet Hotels, a platform for boutique and luxury hotels, reported CNBC.

That site now features a portal on the Michelin Guide site where consumers can look through a selection of hotel rooms. Similarly, the hotels that will be featured next year, whether or not they earn keys, will be bookable through its website.

The company will receive commissions on bookings made on its site.

The Guide has not specified whether a hotel can get more than one key.

Also read: Atlantis The Royal named among World’s 50 Best Hotels