Michelin Guide Adds 470 Hotels to Its 2026 Key Selection
The expanded global selection includes 470 new hotels, 18 new Three-Key properties, and first-time distinctions in 10 countries.
Airelles Palladio Venice. Photo: Courtesy of Airelles
The Michelin Guide has revealed its 2026 global hotel selection, adding 470 properties across 79 destinations and introducing Michelin Keys in 10 countries for the first time.
The expanded selection now includes 2,832 Key hotels worldwide: 2,020 with One Key, 657 with Two Keys, and 155 with Three Keys, the Guide’s highest hotel distinction. Eighteen properties received Three Keys for the first time, while more than 80 hotels moved up from One to Two Keys or from Two to Three Keys.
“This second global selection of the Michelin Keys reflects the extraordinary momentum driving the hospitality sector once again this year,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide. “With nearly 470 newly distinguished establishments, we are witnessing a continuous upscaling of the offering, driven by even more creative and ambitious projects.”
The 2026 additions include hotels in Armenia, Benin, Botswana, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, Myanmar, Rwanda, Slovakia, and Zimbabwe, all receiving Michelin Keys for the first time. Europe remains the largest region in the program, with 1,338 Key hotels across more than 35 destinations. Italy leads the continent with 224, followed by France with 220.
Among the newly promoted Three-Key hotels are Borgo Santandrea on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, Southern Ocean Lodge on Australia’s Kangaroo Island, and Delaire Graff Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Costa Rica, was promoted from Two to Three Keys and is the only new Three-Key hotel in the Americas. Soneva Secret in the Maldives is Asia’s sole new Three-Key property this year.
Michelin also presented four special honors: Saudi Arabia’s Desert Rock Resort received the Architecture & Design Award, while Germany’s Schloss Elmau Luxury Spa Retreat & Cultural Hideaway earned the Wellness Award. Airelles Palladio Venice was named Opening of the Year, and Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa received the Local Gateway Award.
Introduced in 2024, Michelin Keys are based on anonymous inspections. One Key denotes “a very special stay,” Two Keys recognize “an exceptional stay,” and Three Keys designate “an extraordinary stay.”
