Michelin is pleased to present the first selection of MICHELIN Keys in France. The latest addition to the MICHELIN Guide accolades, the MICHELIN Keys highlight establishments in the Guide’s hotel selection offering the most exceptional stays.
Awarded by the MICHELIN Guide selection team based on anonymous stays or visits, independently of existing labels, tourism stars and pre-established quotas, the MICHELIN Keys are becoming a new international benchmark for travelers, helping them to find accommodations that stand out for their unique hospitality concept, distinctive character, warm welcome and very high level of service.
- Selected by the MICHELIN Guide teams, hotels delivering the most outstanding experiences in the world can now be booked on its digital platforms.
- France is the first country to unveil its MICHELIN Key honorees, soon to be followed by other major tourist destinations.
- With 189 establishments recognized in France, Michelin is celebrating the talent of these hospitality professionals.
189 hotels awarded in France
In this very first list, 189 hotels and accommodations, among some 600 establishments already recommended by the MICHELIN Guide France, are honored with 24 Three MICHELIN Keys, 38 Two MICHELIN Keys and 127 One MICHELIN Keys.
Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides said, “With this new distinction, the MICHELIN Guide has opened up a brand-new chapter in the service it provides for travelers, which has been its lifeblood for the past 124 years. Steadfast in our field-based approach, the MICHELIN Guide inspectors drew up this unprecedented list to share their best hotel experiences in France.
Every establishment awarded One, Two or Three MICHELIN Keys is a gem sculpted by talented professionals. Using the MICHELIN Guide digital platforms, travelers can filter their search and book awarded hotels for stays that we hope will be unforgettable.”
One, Two and Three MICHELIN Keys
Just like the famous Stars, that, in the MICHELIN Guide restaurant selection, indicate establishments offering the best culinary experiences, the Keys reveal accommodations in the Guide’s hotel selection that offer the most outstanding stays. They are a new benchmark for travelers, qualifying the experience in broad terms, rather than focusing solely on amenities.One MICHELIN Key: a very special stay
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.
Two MICHELIN Keys: an exceptional stay
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.
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 and a destination in itself for that trip of a lifetime. All the elements of truly great hospitality are here to ensure any stay will live long in the memory and hearts.
24 hotels receive Three MICHELIN Keys for delivering stays that are second to none
Three MICHELIN Keys, indicating an extraordinary stay, worthy of a specific trip, have been presented to 24 hotels.
In Paris, a city at the forefront of the very concept of “palace” luxury hotels, 5 establishments of this type have been honored. These include the Four Seasons George V, that, as well as its sumptuous rooms and suites, features one of the most exceptional spas the French capital has to offer. With its three restaurants, boasting One, Two and Three MICHELIN Stars respectively and its Galerie and bar, it helps turn every moment of a stay into a unique gourmet interlude.
Within the Art Deco walls of the iconic Samaritaine department store overlooking the Seine, the Cheval Blanc Paris affords captivating vistas over the City of Light, while the Saint James Paris, the city’s only château-hotel, will win travelers over with its tranquil gardens designed by landscaper Xavier de Chirac and its character-filled interior design, which has been rethought by architect Laura Gonzalez. Not far from Paris, Airelles Château de Versailles - Le Grand Contrôle immerses its guests in the extravagant 18th-century splendor of the French Court; offering a creative way to discover the Château de Versailles.
In the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, emblematic of high-end French tourism, 7 hotels have been awarded Three MICHELIN Keys. La Réserve Ramatuelle boasts one of the most beguiling Mediterranean vistas, while each of its rooms is a veritable haven of peace. Just a stone’s throw away in Provence, in the small town of Puy-Sainte-Réparade, Villa La Coste offers 28 contemporary rooms set in a unique vineyard where art, gastronomy and wine commingle. A stay here brings guests up close and personal with the leading names in architecture and modern art – such as Richard Serra, Louise Bourgeois, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Frank Gehry, Oscar Niemeyer and Tadao Ando.
In the Grand Est region, Le Royal Champagne (Champillon) and Domaine Les Crayères (Reims) join the upper echelon of the list, while in Nouvelle Aquitaine, Les Sources de Caudalie (Bordeaux), a haven of well-being nestled in a Bordeaux vineyard and offering wine therapy treatments, has also been awarded Three MICHELIN Keys.
Two MICHELIN Keys presented to 38 exceptional properties
Indicating an exceptional stay, Two MICHELIN Keys honor 38 hotels situated throughout France.
In the Sarthe department, Château du Grand-Lucé, a stately 18th-century neoclassical building, features 17 rooms and suites that vie with each other in the opulence and refinement sweepstakes – without compromising on modern-day comforts.
In Brittany, two independent hotels have been honored. In Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes, where the 11 rooms and 2 suites at Château Richeux – Les Maisons de Bricourt overlook Mont Saint-Michel Bay, guests can dine at chef Hugo Roellinger’s restaurant boasting Two MICHELIN Stars as well as the MICHELIN Green Star. The one-of-a-kind Celtic Baths, located just a short distance from the main building, have been designed to offer “a tête-à-tête with the tides and the cosmos”.
Just a few miles away in Dinard, Castelbrac is an intimate hotel located inside a Belle Epoque villa. Designed by interior decorators, Sandra Benhamou and Léonie Alma Mason, the 25 rooms possess sophisticated and soothing esthetics and afford breathtaking sea views.
In Cassis, perched on white limestone cliffs lapped by Mediterranean waters, Roches Blanches revive the 1920s Art Deco style in a recently renovated building. Eleven other properties in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region have also been honored with Two MICHELIN Keys.
In Nouvelle Aquitaine, Chais Monnet is one of 6 recommended addresses. Located in Cognac, on the banks of the Charente River, in the former Monnet Cognac distillery, the hotel was designed by architect Didier Poignant. Apart from the spacious and elegant rooms, the hotel features unique and contemporary communal areas such as the hotel’s MICHELIN Starred restaurant – Les Foudres – whose tables are set among authentic century-old Cognac casks [or foudres].
In Honfleur, Normandy, Ferme Saint-Siméon, a former meeting place for artists Monet, Boudin, Sisley, Corot and Courbet, is now home to 34 rooms and suites shaped by history, that welcome guests longing for the countryside, to delight in the Seine Estuary landscapes, vibrant light and changing skies.
Finally, three properties have been honored in the Alpine resorts, including L’Apogée Courchevel that opened in 2013. This luxury mountain hotel is located just a stone’s throw from the slopes. Designed by India Mahdavi and Joseph Dirand, the establishment’s decoration combines retro lines with curvaceousness and colored hues.
127 hotels earn One MICHELIN Key
The singular experiences offered by 127 hotels and accommodations have been rewarded with One MICHELIN Key. Representing a broad spectrum of hotel concepts, accommodation types and geography, the first French MICHELIN Keys list shines with diversity and an ability to offer experiences suited to all budgets and desires.
Château & Village Castigno, an atypical wine tourism estate whose rooms and communal areas are distributed throughout the village of Assignan in Occitania, encourages a digital detox (rooms are intentionally designed without Wi-Fi and television) and a unique experience from one 150 euros.
In Villelaure in the Luberon, Ferme HI Bride, the brainchild of designer Matali Crasset, boasts 8 rooms, 2 studios and 2 houses nestled at the heart of an olive grove, a wine growing estate, a kitchen garden and a forest. The property invites guests to “experience contemporary agrotourism”, fully connected to the Pays d’Aigues and offering a gateway to its culture and nature.
At the heart of the impressive museum complex of L’Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud, Fontevraud-L’Hôtel offers atypical stays from 130 euros. The 54 rooms, located in Saint-Lazare priory, were created by designer Patrick Jouin and architect Sanjit Manku and draw inspiration from the site’s simplicity and monastic tranquility. At the day’s end, when the doors to the abbey, its cloisters and gardens close to the public, they remain nonetheless open to hotel guests, who are able to amble among them until the early hours.
Designed as an ecologically responsible site and awarded the ISO 26000 label, Fontevraud-L’Hôtel also allows guests to enhance their cultural stay with a committed gastronomic interlude, sampling the cuisine of chef Thibaut Ruggeri, honored with One MICHELIN Star and the MICHELIN Green Star.
In Paris, 22 hotels have been recognized. These include l’Hôtel Le Ballu, an independent establishment with interior design inspired by Syldavia – a fictional Balkan country where the King Ottokar’s Sceptre plot unfolded – the fruit of the owner-architects’ imagination. Les Bains, which is now a fashionable and festive boutique-hotel, is located within the former legendary nightclub Bains Douches, while Château Voltaire possesses 32 intimate and elegant rooms just a short distance from the Opéra Garnier.
In the Hauts-de-France region, in Valenciennes, Le Royal Hainaut, a high-end hotel and spa, marks the rebirth of a former red brick hospital built in the 18th-century, while in Alsace, Les Haras, located on the former Strasbourg royal stud farm, is a prime example of architectural rehabilitation. In Corsica, in Sartène, Domaine de Murtoli (l’Hôtel de la Ferme) whisks guests away on a calming retreat at the heart of the Corsican maquis, while the 3 intimate rooms at Chez Laurence du Tilly, in Caen, have the cozy feel of a guest house.
Finally, epicureans will be delighted to find rooms developed by several MICHELIN Starred restaurants in the One Key selection to round off and extend their gastronomic experience. Maison Aribert (Saint-Martin-d’Uriage), Le Clos des Sens (Annecy), l’Auberge La Fenière (Cadenet), Le Petit Nice (Nice), l’Auberge du Père Bise (Talloires) and la Villa Grand Voile Christopher Coutanceau (La Rochelle) have all been honored.
All of the MICHELIN Guide hotel recommendations can be found free of charge on the MICHELIN Guide website and app. On these digital platforms, all of the recommended hotels can be booked at the best available rate. To assist travelers throughout their stay, the MICHELIN Guide also provides a concierge service offered by a team of travel experts, employed by the MICHELIN Guide.
After France, the MICHELIN Keys will be announced for the United States (Atlanta, California, Chicago, Colorado, Florida, New York and Washington DC). On April 24, for Spain on April 29, for Italy on May 7 and for Japan on July 4, 2024. Other destinations will follow over the course of the year.
Hero Image: © Saint James Paris
