The MICHELIN Guide has named its 2026 Key hotels: 470 new additions across 79 destinations, 18 new Three Key properties at the top of the list, and hotels in 10 countries recognised for the first time. Italy now has more Key hotels than anywhere else in Europe.
Michelin announced the selection on September 18, after what it describes as months of anonymous inspector visits. The guide’s hotel list now covers more than 9,400 properties, of which 2,832 hold a Key, and Michelin says more than 2,200 hotels have been added to the overall selection since its previous Key announcement in October 2025. Euronews profiled the eight new Three Key hotels in Europe on September 21. If one of them is in Venice, our guide to things to do in Venice helps plan the days around the stay.
- New in 2026: 470 hotels across 79 destinations; more than 80 promoted.
- Totals: 2,832 Key hotels: 155 with Three Keys, 657 with Two, 2,020 with One.
- New Three Key hotels: 18, including eight in Europe.
- First Keys: Armenia, Benin, Botswana, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, Myanmar, Rwanda, Slovakia and Zimbabwe.
- Europe: Italy leads with 224 Key hotels, France has 220, the UK 131 and Germany 130.
What the Keys Mean
Michelin began awarding Keys to hotels in 2024, as a counterpart to its restaurant stars. Euronews summarises the scale: One Key marks a very special stay, Two Keys an exceptional one, and Three Keys, in Michelin’s words, “one of the world’s most remarkable and extraordinary stays and a destination for the trip of a lifetime.”
Michelin says this year’s additions cover hotels of every size, style and price point, and its international director, Gwendal Poullennec, points to independent and boutique hotels as a driving force in the industry.
Europe’s New Three Key Hotels
According to Euronews, Airelles Palladio in Venice is one of just two hotels to enter the guide directly at Three Keys, and it also won Michelin’s Opening of the Year award. The other debut at the top level is Soneva Secret in the Maldives.
Seven European hotels were promoted from Two to Three Keys: Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Collection in Florence; Borgo Santandrea on the Amalfi Coast; Splendido, A Belmond Hotel in Portofino; Château de la Chèvre d’Or in Èze; Le Couvent des Minimes in Provence; Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne; and Kulm Hotel St. Moritz. For Borgo Santandrea, our guide on where to stay on the Amalfi Coast compares the towns along that stretch.
Beyond Europe
In the Americas, Michelin says the only new Three Key hotel is Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Costa Rica, promoted from Two Keys. The United States gained 65 new Keys, with additions in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, New Orleans and New York City, plus Cataloochee Ranch and The Swag near Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Southern Ocean Lodge in Australia moved up to Three Keys, as did Delaire Graff Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa’s newest Three Key hotel. Rwanda’s first Keys include One&Only Gorilla’s Nest, near gorilla trekking in the Virunga Mountains.
Four Special Awards
Alongside the Keys, Michelin gave four special awards: Architecture and Design to Desert Rock Resort in Umluj, Saudi Arabia; Wellness to Schloss Elmau in Germany; Opening of the Year to Airelles Palladio in Venice; and its Local Gateway award to Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa’s Kruger area.
Michelin’s inspectors also describe the trends they saw: travelers staying longer in fewer places, more blending of business and leisure, a taste for privacy and “rough luxury”, and wellness offerings that go beyond the spa. Those are the guide’s observations, not measured data.
| If you… | How to use the list |
|---|---|
| Want a once in a lifetime stay | Start with the 155 Three Key hotels, including the 18 new ones. |
| Are planning Italy or France | Both have around 220 Key hotels to choose from. |
| Travel within the US | Look at the 65 new US Keys, from big cities to the Smokies. |
| Want somewhere less visited | Check the first Key hotels in Mongolia, Rwanda, Botswana or Armenia. |
| Book on points or budget | Keys span price points; filter the guide by One Key hotels. |
470 new Key hotels across 79 destinations.
18 new Three Key stays, eight of them in Europe.
Italy leads Europe with 224 Key hotels.
When was the 2026 MICHELIN Key selection announced?
On September 18, 2026.
How many hotels have Three MICHELIN Keys?
155 worldwide, including 18 new this year.
Which country has the most MICHELIN Key hotels in Europe?
Italy, with 224, followed by France with 220.
Which hotel won Opening of the Year?
Airelles Palladio in Venice, which also entered the guide with Three Keys.
Which countries got MICHELIN Keys for the first time?
Armenia, Benin, Botswana, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, Myanmar, Rwanda, Slovakia and Zimbabwe.
