Michelin Guide to start rating hotels starting in 2024

17-10-23

• Michelin expects to publish its first list of the world's best accommodations during the first half of 2024.

The Michelin Guide is expanding. The venerable travel publication has announced it will begin applying its expertise to hotels, according to Bloomberg. 

The announcement was made at a special event held by the French tire maker that publishes the guide in Paris on Thursday night. However, hotels considered among the best will not receive stars like their culinary counterparts. Instead, they will receive a "key" emblem. 

Recognition will be based on five criteria: contribution to the local experience, excellence in interior design and architecture, individuality, quality and consistency of service, and comfort and consistency between the level of experience and price.

The first hotels to receive the keys will come from a list of more than 5,000 preselected establishments in 120 countries, with a "wide range of prices and styles," according to Michelin. 

The guide has not specified whether accommodations will be able to obtain more than one key. A restaurant can earn up to three stars: one meaning it "deserves a stop," two meaning it "deserves a treat" and three meaning it "deserves a special trip."

The announcement comes five years after Michelin acquired Tablet Hotels, a booking website for boutique and luxury establishments, according to Bloomberg. Michelin's website currently includes a portal of select hotels that visitors can book through Tablet. 

All hotels eligible for the keys - many of which are connected to Michelin-rated restaurants - will be bookable through the guide's website, with the publication earning a commission on bookings.

It's no surprise that Michelin is expanding its scope to hotels. In addition to owning Tablet, the travel market is currently at an all-time high, according to the financial news wire. In addition, some of the similar restaurant guides, World's 50 Best and La Liste, have also published hotel listings in recent months.