MICHELIN Guide creates distinction for hotels: the MICHELIN key

The MICHELIN Guide teams have selected more than 5,000 hotels and lodgings around the world. To highlight the establishments from this selection that offer exceptional hotel and travel experiences, the MICHELIN Guide is now creating a special award: the MICHELIN key. It will be awarded for the first time in 2024.

"The MICHELIN key is a clear and reliable indication for travellers. Just as MICHELIN awards stars to restaurants, which elevate cooking to an art, the MICHELIN key becomes a special appreciation for the most exceptional hotels around the world. At the same time, this award recognises the teamwork of driven and passionate hospitality professionals," clarifies Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the MICHELIN Guide.

For the past four years, the MICHELIN Guide teams have been revisiting their hotel selection. As with restaurants, the MICHELIN Guide aims to independently recommend hotels and lodgings that offer travellers personalised experiences. The MICHELIN key is, on the one hand, a reaction to the increasing standardisation of contemporary accommodations - in terms of design, interior design, attention to detail in the rooms, ... On the other hand, MICHELIN wants to excite guests' emotions by directing them towards establishments that excel in all areas: from architectural choices to craftsmanship and from the sense of detail to exuding a unique personality.

The new MICHELIN Guide selection recommends more than 5,000 remarkable hotels in 120 countries, in all price categories and styles. MICHELIN based its selection on five criteria:

- a destination in itself: the hotel contributes to the local experience
- architecture and interior design of excellence
- quality and consistency of service, comfort and maintenance
- specific individuality reflecting the hotel's personality and uniqueness
- quality of experience balanced with price

Hotel selection is done completely independently of existing labels or established ratings. In doing so, MICHELIN Guide has three objectives in mind:

- direct travellers to accommodation that offers much more than a room to spend the night
- precede or extend a gastronomic experience with a memorable hotel experience
- Provide one independent platform to choose, book and review a stay

Exploring the hotel selection is simple and user-friendly, both on the MICHELIN Guide website and in the mobile app. Travellers can find inspiration in the magazine section, compare accommodation by filtering, book a room, pay online and give feedback afterwards or share their experiences.

Prospective travellers can contact customer service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition, a team of travel experts specialises in providing tailor-made guidance.

Each year, the MICHELIN key will distinguish exceptional establishments run by teams with unique expertise. The MICHELIN key is awarded after one or more stays carried out anonymously by the MICHELIN Guide selection teams.

MICHELIN teams are currently visiting numerous properties and will hand out the first keys in the first half of 2024