The people at the Michelin Guide are now rating hotels.
The minibar just became the new wine list. The breakfast buffet is the new tasting menu. The thread count is the new, um, bread roll? We’re not sure, the analogy breaks down here, but the Michelin people are giving out ‘Keys’ instead of Stars, and their criteria for handing them out is pretty vague (“One Key: a very special stay, Two Keys: an exceptional stay, Three Keys: an extraordinary stay”), but whatever. According to them a one Michelin Star restaurant isn’t even worth a slight detour on your journey, so it’s all a bit nebulous.
Here are all the hotels in London that snapped up the awards when they were handed out for the first time this month:
THREE KEYS 🗝️🗝️🗝️
- Bulgari Hotel
- Claridge’s – home to Claridge’s Restaurant
- Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane
- Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park – home to Two Star Dinner by Heston & The Aubrey
- Raffles London at The OWO – home to Mauro Colagreco, Paper Moon, and Kioku by Endo
- The Connaught – home to Three Star Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, The Red Room & The Connaught Bar
- The Peninsula London – home to Two Star Brooklands
- The Savoy – home to The American Bar & The Beaufort Bar
TWO KEYS 🗝️🗝️
- 45 Park Lane – home to CUT
- Brown’s Hotel
- The Corinthia London – home to Velvet & Kerridge’s Bar & Grill
- Covent Garden Hotel
- Ham Yard Hotel
- Haymarket Hotel
- Hotel Café Royal – home to Two Star Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal
- Mandarin Oriental Mayfair
- Rosewood London
- The Beaumont Hotel
- The Berkeley
- The Cadogan
- The Dorchester – home to Vesper Bar
- The Langham
- The Twenty Two
ONE KEY 🗝️
- 1 Hotel Mayfair
- Artist Residence London
- Baglioni Hotel
- Beaverbrook Town House
- Broadwick Soho – home to Dear Jackie
- Charlotte Street Hotel
- Chiltern Firehouse – home to, er, the Chiltern Firehouse
- COMO The Halkin
- Flemings Mayfair
- Four Seasons Hotel Tower Bridge
- Knightsbridge Hotel
- L’oscar London
- NoMad London – home to Side Hustle & The NoMad Restauranti
- Number Sixteen
- One Aldwych
- Redchurch Townhouse
- Shangri-La The Shard
- Sofitel London St James
- The Emory – home to ABC Kitchens
- The Soho Hotel
As you might expect, these will be updated annually, just like the Stars. Any who know, we may even get a price-conscious Bib Gourmand equivalent.
Like something more low-key? Here are a few of the best boutique hotels in London.