So I ask: can a Michelin Keys award help a hotel generate more business or improve service? In addition, gaining a Michelin Star can be transformational for a chef and a restaurant. As a result, international recognition and a whole host of other business benefits tend to follow. You can read my blog on the subject here: https://www.liz-taylor-consulting.co.uk/index.php/2022/04/21/reaching-for-the-stars-does-gaining-a-michelin-star-help-your-business/
CAN A MICHELIN KEYS AWARD HELP A HOTEL?
In October this year, the Michelin Guide expanded its distinctions to include hotels with the launch of Michelin Keys. But what is a Michelin Key? And can a Michelin Keys award help a hotel in a similar way to how Michelin Stars benefit restaurants?
In this blog, I will delve further into the subject of Michelin Keys. I explain how you can leverage the Michelin Guide’s system as a framework to raise your offering, even if your property has not earned a key, to attract the luxury market.
To begin, we outline the topics:
- What is a Michelin Key?
- Michelin Key Properties in the UK & Ireland
- Reaching for the Stars (or Keys)
- The Michelin Key Criteria
- One MICHELIN Key: a very special stay
- Two MICHELIN Keys: an exceptional stay
- Three MICHELIN Keys: an extraordinary stay
- Conclusion
WHAT IS A MICHELIN KEYS AWARD?
In fact, contrary to popular belief, hotels have always featured in the Michelin Guide as recommendations. Consequently, it reflects the group’s travel and hospitality origins. Michelin’s latest guide lists more than 5,000 hotels worldwide. You can view them all here: https://guide.michelin.com/en/hotels
The natural evolution, then, was to create an official award for, as Michelin puts it, the “creme de la creme of hotels chosen from its selections.
Although it always included hotels, Michelin focused its distinction awards on dining and restaurants until 2024. As a result, Michelin introduced a brand-new distinction this year. The star recognises outstanding restaurants, and the Michelin Key recognises hotels internationally.
In short. The Michelin Key is essentially a Michelin Star for hotels, awarded in honour of outstanding stays.
A property earns ONE, TWO or THREE Michelin Keys from Michelin. A clear set of criteria shows what Michelin seeks in a property for each distinction. More on that later.
Within the Michelin Key selections, there are options for every style and budget. According to Michelin:
“There are lively hotels and quiet hotels. Hotels in metropolises and hotels in the middle of nowhere. Hotels at the leading edge of modern design and hotels that celebrate the achievements of the past. There are castles, hostels, tents, and ryokans, places with two hundred rooms atop a city skyscraper, and with two rooms tucked inside an ancient watchtower.”
MICHELIN KEY PROPERTIES IN THE UK & IRELAND
On the 1st October 2024, the Michelin Guide announced its selections for the UK & Ireland. In total, there are 14 Three Key hotels, 37 Two Key hotels, and 72 One Key hotels in the UK and Ireland.
Any property listed in the Michelin Guide is eligible to receive a Michelin Key. Michelin inspectors visit every property anonymously to determine its rating and award the stars.
The Michelin Key list in the UK & Ireland includes hospitality powerhouses alongside smaller, independently run properties that know luxury is all about detail.
- The Savoy
- Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
- Cashel Palace
- The Connaught
- Claridge’s
- The Idle Rocks
- Gilpin Hotel & Lake House
- Gleneagles
Just some of those recognised. The full list of properties awarded a Michelin Key can be found here: https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/travel/all-the-michelin-key-hotels-in-the-uk-ireland
REACHING FOR THE STARS (OR KEYS)
As a luxury hospitality consultant, I work with hotels to identify opportunities for elevation. These opportunities can also help a property break through in the luxury market. I have spent an entire career working with high-net-worth individuals through my events business. What they look for in a hotel is remarkably similar to what they want in events. Elegant surroundings. Next-level service. Attention to detail. Personalisation. Does a Michelin Keys Award help a hotel that already operates to a high standard?
If your property was not one of those to receive a key distinction, or even listed in the Michelin Guide. Or even if you don’t feel a Michelin Key is within your reach, then there is still something to take home. Michelin has created a framework that helps properties elevate their offering.
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THE MICHELIN KEY CRITERIA
Michelin has five universal criteria when selecting hotels. Excellence in architecture and interior design, quality and consistency of service, overall personality and character, value for the price, and a significant contribution to the neighbourhood or setting. The subcategories are then divided into:
- One Key properties: where guests will have ‘a very special stay.’
- Two Key properties: providers of ‘an exceptional stay.’
- Three Keys: here, the top accolade, where ‘an extraordinary stay’ is guaranteed.
This may seem abstract, but there is much more to each category than increasingly hyperbolic adjectives.
Below, I break these down and outline what inspectors look for in a property at each level.
I’ve also included recommendations, from my perspective, on how you could reach each level in order to better answer the all-important question: can a Michelin Keys award help a hotel, or is it just an expensive accolade which doesn’t drive business?
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One MICHELIN Key: a very special stay
According to Michelin, this is “a true gem with its own character and personality. It may break the mould, offer something different or simply be one of the best of its type. Service always goes the extra mile, and it provides so much more than similarly priced establishments.”
Three words jump out at me here.
- Character
- Personality
- Service
The outer shell of your property could be the most ordinary of buildings, but if you infuse that with character and personality – then you make something unique. As a result, you create something special.
Bring in professionals to help you channel your creativity. Create something nobody else has! What makes you unique as a hotel owner must infuse your property with your own special ideas and characteristics.
Example: I’ve created a stunning wedding venue out of a potato barn. Yes, you heard me correctly. The outer shell wasn’t important; in fact, it only enhanced the contrast when you entered. We transformed an abandoned outbuilding into a luxurious, versatile event space steeped in rustic charm.
And of course, your offering then has to be further elevated with service that ‘goes the extra mile.’ This really is a defining factor in the luxury market. And it’s something that is readily available to ANY property. Train your staff to give next-level service. Guests will always remember a stay when every staff member remembers their name. When their preferences are noted and adhered to. Where they are greeted with a smile and staff go above and beyond to make their stay something special.
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Two MICHELIN Keys: an exceptional stay
According to Michelin – a two-keys property is:
“somewhere truly unique and exceptional in every way, where a memorable experience is always guaranteed. A hotel of character, personality and charm that’s run with obvious pride and considerable care. Eye-catching design or architecture, and a real sense of the locale make this an exceptional place to stay.”
The next level of distinction takes the one-key framework and solidifies it. There is no hit-or-miss when visiting a two-key property. Guests know what they will get and feel safe that it will always be delivered.
Pride is my key takeaway here – does each and every member of your staff take pride in their workplace? Does everyone take ‘considerable care’ when dealing with customers? These are the things that will really hit home when attempting to up-level your property’s offering.
Character and charm are never out of reach. You can offer both in the humblest of places if you take the time and love to curate something extraordinary. Which brings us to….
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Three MICHELIN Keys: an extraordinary stay
It’s all about astonishment and indulgence here. This is the ultimate in comfort and service, style and elegance. It is one of the world’s most remarkable and extraordinary hotels. A destination in itself for that trip of a lifetime. All the elements of truly great hospitality are here to ensure any stay lives on in memory and heart.
The three key frameworks may be reserved for hospitality’s elite, yet they still offer many takeaways for those striving to up-level their offering.
My advice to hoteliers looking to up-level their service would be to choose a three-keys property from the list and go and stay there.- Indulge for a night or two. EXPERIENCE it for yourself. Only then will you realise what that extra something reserved for an exceptional property really is.
And when you return, stay for a night on your own property. It’s so important to experience it from a guest’s perspective.
In these three key properties, every detail has been considered.
- The beds, mattresses, and bedding will be the very best quality – is this something you could improve upon?
- Do you have blackout blinds or curtains that provide functionality as well as beauty? Are they motorised – can you operate them without leaving the comfort of your bed?
- How do the rooms look and feel on entering?
- Is the furniture well crafted?
- Are the carpets clean and sumptuous and super soft underfoot?
- Can you install log burners or bioethanol fires to add that cosy, extra element for a warm, welcoming cosy space?
- What are your tea and coffee selections? Are they the absolute best they can be?
- Is there a coffee machine rather than a kettle? Can you add homemade biscuits and a handwritten note to welcome them?
- Are the mirrors in the bathroom heated?
- Is the underfloor heated?
- Is breakfast available in the room and in the restaurant, and how is it delivered to their door?
- What about dining at your property?
- Is it the best experience for your budget and space?
- Do ALL of your staff greet guests, note their names, and remember little details that they like?
These are all minor changes and considerations that can combine to have an enormous impact.
While they may not earn you three Michelin Keys, my point is to consider every element your guest will experience during their stay. Then think ‘how this can be elevated.’ When lots of small details combine, they add up to much more than the sum of their parts. That is what the luxury sector is looking for in a hotel stay.>>>BACK TO TOP
CONCLUSION
Finally, to answer the question, can a Michelin Keys award help a hotel? As a result, incorporating Michelin’s key distinctions into your hospitality framework can powerfully help you create unforgettable guest experiences. Focus on quality, creativity, consistency, and service excellence. It provides a road map for delivering exceptional hospitality. Even if earning a Michelin Key isn’t your goal, adopting its ethos can help you stand out in a competitive market and position your establishment as a beacon of excellence.
