Michelin Guide, whose star ratings are coveted by restaurants worldwide, said on Thursday it would begin designating “the most exceptional hotels.”

Like with the restaurant rankings, Michelin intends to create a stir by revealing its list of hotels at a ceremony in the first half of 2024.

Unlike its restaurant ratings, Michelin will award its favorites “keys” instead of stars. Michelin will judge hotels by criteria including local character, design, decor, and amenities — among other factors.

Michelin bought the online travel agency Tablet Hotels in 2018. The site’s hotel vetters use guest reviews to help evaluate hotels. For several weeks now, the Guide has been offering a selection of over 5,000 hotels globally on its site, long-listed from top-reviewed properties on Tablet Hotels. This long list of about 5,000 hotels will be the ones Michelin reviewers will use to award “keys.”

See Michelin's Announcement

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