If you’re looking for a truly exceptional hotel stay, a five-star rating isn’t enough. You need to look to the big guns: The Michelin Guide.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The tyre company is well known for its reviews of restaurants and associated Michelin stars, but in 2024, it began awarding “keys” to properties around the globe.
One Key means a “very special” stay, while Two Keys means it will be "exceptional".
But Three Keys? A Three Key hotel offers something next level. According to Michelin: “It is one of the world's most remarkable and extraordinary stays and a destination for the trip of a lifetime.”
Sounds good to us.
According to the 2026 Michelin Key selection, which was unveiled last week, there are just 155 Three Key hotels around the globe – including eight new additions in Europe for this year.
Here, we take a look at what makes them worthy of the distinction.
Venice’s Airelles Palladio doesn’t only boast Three Keys – it was also just named Michelin’s Opening of the Year.
Located on Giudecca Island opposite St. Mark’s Square, the property offers all of the charm of Venice without the chaos of the city streets.
Made up of four heritage buildings, the hotel has something for those looking to relax, with the largest spa in Venice and three swimming pools to choose from; something for culture vultures, with experiences offered including an exclusive visit to the Doges Palace and traditional Venetian rowing lessons; and something for foodies, with restaurants from Nobu Matsuhisa, Norbert Niederkofler and Cedric Grolet.
Airelles Palladio is one of just two hotels that debuted on the Michelin Key guide with Three Keys, the other being Soneva Secret in the Maldives.
Seven hotels in Europe were upgraded from Two Keys to Three this year – three in Italy, and two each in both France and Switzerland.
In Florence, Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Collection – which was named Esquire’s best new hotel earlier this year – offers a Three Key stay thanks to its historic location within a former 16th-century villa that was then used as a college.
Guests here will love the nods to its former life, including a bar in the former headmaster’s office with dishes that draw on the tales of famous explorers once studied here, as well as the gorgeous outdoor pool.
Borgo Santandrea on the Amalfi Coast, found within a sixties modernist structure, is “ultra-chic and ultra-luxe”, and the terrace restaurant in particular is something to shout about thanks to its grand vistas.
The last property to be upgraded in Italy is Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, in Portofino. The fabulous hotel has just 53 rooms, a gorgeous outdoor pool, and the world’s first Dior Spa.
Over in France, Château de la Chèvre d'Or earned its place thanks to its spectacular location in the medieval village of Èze, which it takes full advantage of from its two outdoor pools as well as its Michelin two-starred restaurant, La Chèvre d’Or.
The 17th-century convent turned wellness retreat Le Couvent des Minimes was also upgraded this year, with Michelin’s reviewers praising its 2,500 sq m Spa L’Occitane en Provence as well as its one-starred restaurant, Le Feuillée
Beau-Rivage Palace, described by Michelin as “one of the last of Europe’s traditional grand hotels”, was also awarded Three Keys.
The property on the shores of Lake Geneva was recently renovated, and boasts everything from an extensive spa to tennis and padel courts as well as a golf driving range.
Kulm Hotel St. Moritz “is as fine an Alpine five-star gets”, with an incredible view over the lake, a 2,000 sq m spa, an outdoor pool overlooking the slopes, and exceptional restaurants.