Michelin to reveal new hotel key awards in a global event

The Michelin Guide is to announce its next set of hotel key awards during an international ceremony in Paris on 8 October.

The new hotels receiving key awards in the UK and Ireland will also be revealed at the event, and a Michelin spokesperson confirmed there will be no separate key ceremony for the region this year.

Four new special awards will also be presented to hotels, including the Architecture and Design Award, the Wellness Award, the Local Gateway Award and the Opening of the Year Award.

Up to five nominees in each category will be revealed on Michelin’s social media and editorial platforms throughout August and September.

Hotels have been recommended in Michelin guides since the 1920s, but the organisation launched its standalone key award in 2023.

Michelin has been hosting individual key award ceremonies around the world over the past two years but now appears to be recognising global hotels in just one event.

The guide said around 300 international hoteliers will be invited to the ceremony at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, which will also be broadcast online.

What is a Michelin key award?

Similar to Michelin stars, the key is a three-tiered award designed to highlight the best places to stay across the globe.

Hotels can be rated as one key (a special place to stay), two keys (an exceptional stay) or three keys (an extraordinary stay).

Properties are judged on five criteria, including architecture and interior design; quality and regularity of service and comfort; unique character; consistency between quality and the price paid; and contribution to the local experience.

Michelin awarded 123 keys to hotels in the UK and Ireland in its inaugural selection last year, with Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Gleneagles and the Connaught among those receiving the maximum three keys.

However, several high-profile hotels were notably absent from the selection and there has been some controversy around how hotels are eligible for the awards.

What we learned from the 2024 Michelin key ceremony