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MICHELIN Guide reveals its first ‘Keys’ hotels in the UK and Ireland

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Four years ago, MICHELIN Guide announced a major revamp of its hotel selection. Whilst it has been recommending hotels ever since its first Guide in the 1920s, with over 5,000 now listed globally, it never applied its restaurant rating system to them.

This changed last October when MICHELIN announced it would start awarding ‘Keys.’ Like its restaurant Stars, these would be awarded to the “crème de la crème of our selection.” To quote:

“All our hotels excel in design, architecture, service and personality — the MICHELIN Key denotes the absolute most outstanding experiences in our selection.”

Select hotels would be awarded either one, two or three Keys, with Three Key hotels marking out the pinnacle of hospitality.

2024 UK and Ireland MICHELIN Keys announced

A year after announcing the launch of Keys, MICHELIN Guide has published its first list of Key hotels in the UK and Ireland. These are the “culmination of countless hours of evaluation by our MICHELIN Guide Inspectors,” with the inaugural keys awarded to 123 hotels:

  • 14 Three Key hotels
  • 37 Two Key hotels
  • 72 One Key hotels

We thought we’d publish the full list, because the ‘Three Key’ selection is pretty much as you would expect. I found the ‘One Key’ selection more interesting because it features hotels which may not automatically be on your radar.

At Head for Points, we have reviewed eight of them:

Two of the biggest openings this year have made it to the top of the list with both The Peninsula and Raffles at The OWO being awarded Three Keys.

The only hotels from the big five hotel loyalty schemes we cover are:

  • Gleaneagles, Auchterarder (Accor/Ennismore, but not part of Accor Live Limitless) – Three Keys
  • Raffles London at The OWO (Accor) – Three Keys
  • The Savoy (Accor) – Three Keys
  • Bvlgari Hotel London (technically part of Marriott Bonvoy but not points earning or redeeming) – Three Keys
  • Sofitel London St James (Accor) – One Key
  • NoMad London (now Hilton) – One Key
  • Gleneagles Townhouse Edinburgh (Accor/Ennismore, but not part of Accor Live Limitless) – One Key

There are quite a few hotels which are part of Small Luxury Hotels (and so can be booked via Hilton) or Mr & Mrs Smith (and so can be booked via Hyatt). There are also a few Global Hotel Alliance properties, such as Corinthia London.

What does a MICHELIN Key mean for you? As a start, I wouldn’t be surprised to see hotels on this list try to push up their prices as they bask in the prestige of their awards. Prices at restaurants awarded a MICHELIN star often increase and I would expect to see something similar here.

Three Key Hotels

  • The Newt in Somerset – Bruton
  • Lucknam Park – Colerne
  • Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, A Belmond Hotel – Great Milton
  • Bvlgari Hotel London
  • Claridge’s – London
  • Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane
  • Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park – London
  • Raffles London at The OWO
  • The Connaught – London
  • The Peninsula London
  • The Savoy – London
  • Adare Manor – Adare, Republic of Ireland
  • Ballyfin Demesne – Ballyfin, Republic of Ireland
  • The Gleneagles Hotel – Auchterarder, Scotland (review here)

Two Key Hotels

  • Coworth Park, Dorchester Collection – Ascot
  • The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa – Bath
  • Gidleigh Park – Chagford
  • Gravetye Manor – East Grinstead
  • Lympstone Manor – Exmouth
  • Hampton Manor – Hampton-in-Arden
  • Heckfield Place – Heckfield
  • Beaverbrook Surrey – Leatherhead
  • Thyme – Lechlade
  • 45 Park Lane, Dorchester Collection – London
  • Brown’s Hotel, a Rocco Forte Hotel – London
  • Corinthia Hotel London (review here)
  • Covent Garden Hotel, Firmdale Hotels – London
  • Ham Yard Hotel, Firmdale Hotels – London
  • Haymarket Hotel, Firmdale Hotels – London
  • Hotel Café Royal – London (review here)
  • Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London
  • Rosewood London
  • The Beaumont Hotel – London
  • The Berkeley – London
  • The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel, London
  • The Dorchester, Dorchester Collection – London
  • The Langham, London (review here)
  • The Twenty Two – London
  • Lime Wood Hotel – Lyndhurst
  • Whatley Manor Hotel and Spa – Malmesbury
  • Chewton Glen Hotel – New Milton
  • Grantley Hall – Ripon
  • Hambleton Hall – Rutland
  • Cliveden House – Taplow
  • Gilpin Hotel & Lake House – Windermere
  • The Samling Hotel – Windermere
  • Cashel Palace – Cashel, Republic of Ireland
  • Sheen Falls Lodge – Kenmare, Republic of Ireland
  • The Merrion – Dublin, Republic of Ireland
  • The Fife Arms – Braemar, Scotland
  • The Balmoral – Edinburgh, Scotland

One Key Hotels

England

  • Amberley Castle – Amberley
  • Bath Priory – Bath
  • Homewood – Bath
  • The Gainsborough Bath Spa (review here)
  • The Queensberry Hotel – Bath
  • The Yard, Bath
  • The Collective at Woolsery – Bideford
  • Farlam Hall Hotel & Restaurant – Brampton
  • Artist Residence Brighton
  • Artist Residence Bristol
  • Number 38 Clifton – Bristol
  • The Gallivant – Camber
  • Cowley Manor Experimental – Cheltenham
  • Foresters Hall – Cowes (Isle of Wight)
  • Forest Side Hotel – Grasmere
  • Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire
  • The Old Rectory – Hastings
  • The Harper Langham
  • 1 Hotel Mayfair – London
  • Artist Residence London
  • Baglioni Hotel London
  • Beaverbrook Town House – London
  • Broadwick Soho – London
  • Charlotte Street Hotel, Firmdale Hotels – London
  • Chiltern Firehouse – London
  • COMO The Halkin – London
  • Flemings Mayfair – London
  • Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge
  • Knightsbridge Hotel, Firmdale Hotels – London
  • L’oscar London
  • NoMad London
  • Number Sixteen, Firmdale Hotels – London
  • One Aldwych – London
  • Redchurch Townhouse – London
  • Shangri-La The Shard London (review here)
  • Sofitel London St James
  • The Emory – London
  • The Soho Hotel, Firmdale Hotels – London
  • The Vineyard Hotel & Spa – Newbury
  • Estelle Manor – North Leigh
  • Artist Residence Oxfordshire – Oxford
  • The Swan Southwold
  • The Idle Rocks – St Mawes
  • Hotel Tresanton – St Mawes
  • Thornbury Castle – Thornbury
  • Artist Residence Cornwall – West Cornwall
  • Linthwaite House Hotel – Windermere

Channel Islands

  • Longueville Manor – Saint Helier, Jersey

Scotland

  • Glenapp Castle – Ballantrae
  • Dumfries House Lodge – Cumnock
  • Links House at Royal Dornoch – Dornoch
  • 100 Princes Street – Edinburgh
  • Gleneagles Townhouse – Edinburgh (review here)
  • Prestonfield Edinburgh – Edinburgh
  • Foyers Lodge Loch Ness – Foyers
  • The Grandtully Hotel by Ballintaggart – Grandtully
  • Kinloch Lodge – Isle of Skye – Sleat
  • Cromlix Hotel – Kinbuck
  • Newhall Mains Dingwall – Resolis
  • Glenmorangie House – Tain

Wales

  • Palé Hall – Bala
  • Penmaenuchaf – Dolgellau
  • The Grove – Narberth

Republic of Ireland

  • Gregans Castle Hotel – Ballyvaughan
  • Cliff House Hotel – Ardmore
  • Castlemartyr Resort – Castlemartyr
  • Dylan – Dublin
  • Wilder Townhouse Dublin
  • The Killarney Park
  • The Victoria – Killarney
  • No. 1 Pery Square – Limerick
  • Dromoland Castle – Newmarket on Fergus

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Comments (46)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Michael C says:

    Estelle Manor has pretty grim reviews, as does the pub attached to the Artist Residence up the road.

    • JDB says:

      Yes, we haven’t been but we aren’t a million miles away and my Dad is closer but one hears nothing good from those that have visited. Beautiful place but seems to miss the mark on many fronts and service really amateur. A lack of flair, savoir faire etc. The common refrain is along the lines of all gong and no dinner.

      • Michael C says:

        That’s exactly what I’ve heard, @JDB – and that the renovation was by no means sympathetic.
        I’ll try the pub one day for a drink, but will hold back on dining for now.
        Incidentally, Fleur de Lys has its Christmas menu up, in case you’re interested!

    • smitrax says:

      We’ve stayed twice as a couple with our dog. I mention the dog as he got lots of attention from the staff so somebody was always close by if we needed anything. Don’t think I would have been too happy if I was another guest waiting for somebody to take my drink order and seeing 3 staff fussing over a dog though.

      Booked through Virtuoso so got the benefits on each 1 night stay (Amex only offers them on a min 2 night stay) so felt like reasonable value for what it was. Seem to remember the wine was v expensive.

  • Thywillbedone says:

    The Cashel Palace is worth the detour for the cooked breakfast alone – a beautiful dining room and a la carte as it should be for genuinely luxury properties. The owner also owns Mikey Ryan’s pub a few doors down which also does excellent food. The hotel is expensive for its location but I still consider it good value – can’t be said about many hotels in Ireland unfortunately.

    • Waiting4Takeoff says:

      The Irish list in general is pretty solid. Everything from Adare and Ballyfin to Castlemartyr, even No. 1 Pery Square are good options

      • SBIre says:

        Yeah, I was thinking the same. I’ve stayed in Adare and Ballyfin recently and was impressed with both

  • Ruralite says:

    Having visited the Fife Arms in Braemar (2 key) over summer, albeit only the bar for food & drinks, I can only assume that service, cleanliness, staff attitude & quality are far higher in the hotel or they were given warning prior to the inspector(s) visiting. We wouldn’t go back. The very worst of Scotland was the comment made by our Scottish friends.

    • Michael C says:

      I’ve just been looking at the 3-night Christmas package for 2 adults and a child: GBP 13,500…

      • Ruralite says:

        Wow 😮 We looked out of curiosity & the starting price in mid June for a room (only) midweek was over £800 for what looked like a pretty twee, small, dark & dingy room. The, supposedly artistically arranged, twig antlers around the walls in the bar caused a lot of discussion amongst us as to how long before the bark, twiggy bits & (maybe) bugs started dropping off as they dried out. I don’t think the locals or indeed wider UK population are their target clientele though.

    • masaccio says:

      I’ve stayed and it was excellent. Not the Torridon, but very good.

  • BJ says:

    I’m not really into luxury hotels but will give Glenapp Castle with one key here a shout. It is a wonderful place and may appeal to those who want to explore Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway, particularly those who might refused to indulge Trump at the nearby Turnberry. It had a Michelin star too but I heard they lost it though they may since have gotten it back. They also had and probably still have helicopter transfers down the Ayrshire coast to/from Glasgow Airport. IIRC it also features in amex Relais & Chateaux offers.

  • ADS says:

    this looks like a to-do list for future hotel reviews!

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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