The Michelin Keys are a way to rank the best hotels (Image: Getty)
Michelin has conducted an extensive survey of hotels throughout the UK and Ireland to determine which establishments merit the hotel equivalent of the prestigious Michelin star.
In a groundbreaking move, 14 hotels have been bestowed with three Michelin keys, signifying that they provide exceptional experiences so extraordinary they warrant a trip solely to visit them, transcending their role as mere places to stay.
These hotels encompass a diverse array of concepts and accommodations, ranging from chic boutique design hotels to grand luxury icons, and from intimate cottages or lodges to majestic heritage castles or manor houses.
Receiving three keys is an accolade that positions a hotel as “one of the world’s most remarkable and extraordinary hotels and a destination in itself for that trip of a lifetime”. Visitors are in store for “all the elements of truly great hospitality” and warm memories to look back on.
Out of the 123 venues inspected by Michelin, 14 have achieved the distinction of three keys. London boasts eight of these elite locations, while three others grace the English countryside, and Scotland and the Republic of Ireland each claim one.
The Michelin keys were introduced last year and have since been awarded to hotels in Japan, Italy, Spain, France, and the USA, marking this year as the inaugural occasion for the UK’s inclusion in the scheme, reports the Mirror.
Like the Michelin stars, these honours are conferred following incognito inspections by Michelin judges – there is no set number of keys to be awarded, leaving it entirely to the discretion of the inspectors to deem which hotels are deserving.
A single Michelin key is awarded to a location offering an exceptional stay. This could be a place that breaks the norm, offers something unique, or is simply one of the best in its category. The service here always goes above and beyond, providing significantly more than other establishments with similar pricing.
Two Michelin keys signify an extraordinary stay. These are places that are truly unique and exceptional in every way, guaranteeing a memorable experience.
These hotels exude character, personality, and charm, and are operated with evident pride and considerable care. Their eye-catching design or architecture, coupled with a real sense of locale, make them exceptional places to stay.
Three Michelin keys represent an unparalleled stay. These locations are all about astonishment and indulgence they offer the ultimate in comfort, service, style, and elegance.
They rank among the world’s most remarkable and extraordinary hotels and are destinations in themselves for that once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Claridge’s hotel was awarded three keys (Image: Getty)
The complete list of Michelin key-holding hotels across the UK
Three-key hotels
England
The Newt in Somerset, Bruton
Lucknam Park, Colerne
Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, A Belmond Hotel, Oxfordshire
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, London
The Savoy, London
Scotland
The Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder
Republic of Ireland
Adare Manor, Adare
Ballyfin Demesne, Ballyfin
Two-key hotels
England
Coworth Park, Dorchester Collection, Ascot
The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa, Bath
Gidleigh Park, Changford
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 London
Covent Garden hotel, Firmdale Hotels, London
Ham Yard, Firmdale Hotels, London
Haymarket, Firmdale Hotels, London
Hotel Cafe Royal, London
Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London
Rosewood London
The Beaumont, London
The Berkeley, London
The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel, London
The Dorchester, Dorchester Collection, London
The Langham, London
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 and Lake House, Windermere
The Samling Hotel, Windermere
Scotland
The Fife Arms, Braemar
The Balmoral, Edinburgh
Republic of Ireland
Cashel Palace, Windermere
Sheen Falls Lodge, Windermere
The Merrion, Dublin
The Newt in Somerset (Image: Getty)
One-key hotels
Amberley Castle, Sussex
Bath Priory, Bath
Homewood, Bath
The Gainsborough Bath Spa, Bath
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, London
One Hotel Mayfair, London
Artist Residence London
Baglioni Hotel London
Beaverbrook Town House, London
Broadwick Soho London
Charlotte Street Hotel, London
Chiltern Firehouse, London
COMO the Halkin, London
Flemings Mayfair, London
Four Seasons hotel London
Knightsbridge hotel, London
L’oscar London
NoMad London
Number Sixteen, London
One Aldwych, London
Redchurch Townhouse, London
Shangri-La the Shard London
Sofitel London St James
The Emory
The Soho hotel, London
The Vineyard Hotel & Spa, Newbury
Estelle Manor, North Leigh
Artist Residence Oxfordshire
The Swan Southwold
The Idle Rocks, St Mawes
Hotel Tresanton, St. Mawes
Thornbury Castle, Thornbury
Artist Residence 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
Edinburgh: Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh
Prestonfield Edinburgh
Foyers Lodge Loch Ness, Foyers
The Grandtully Hotel by Ballintaggart, Grandtully
Kinloch Lodge, Isle of Skye
Cromlix Hotel, Kinbuck
Newhall Mains Dingwall, Resolis
Glenmorangie House, Tain
The Gleneagles Hotel (Image: Getty)
Wales
Palé Hall, Bala
Penmaenuchaf, Dolgellau
The Grove of Narberth
Republic of Ireland
Gregans Castle hotel, Ballyvaughan
Cliff House hotel, Ardmore
Castlemartyr Resort, Castlemartyr
Dylan, Dublin
Wilder Townhouse Dublin
The Killarney Park, Killarney
The Victoria, Killarney
No 1 Pery Square, Limerick
Dromoland Castle, Newmarket on Fergus