The MICHELIN Guide announced the first 108 MICHELIN Key hotels and ryokans in Japan out of 243 MICHELIN Guide Hotel Selections (as of July 1 2024) listed on the official website. Six hotels and ryokans were selected as the highest Three Key, and 17 and 85 as Two Key and One Key.
Japan is the first MICHELIN Key country in Asia, followed by France, U.S. (7 areas), Spain and Italy announced from April this year, and MICHELIN plans to extend MICHELIN Key to Canada, other areas in U.S., Germany, Austria, Switzerland or Mexico in the future.
Three Key is defined as an extraordinary stay to offer the once-in-a-lifetime experiences. ‘Gora Kadan' in Hakone, ‘HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO' in Kyoto, ‘Amanemu' in Mie, ‘ Bulgari Hotel Tokyo,' ‘Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi' and ‘Palace Hotel Tokyo' are selected.
Defined as an exceptional stay to offer memorable experiences, Two Key goes not only to large-scale hotels in urban areas but also to hotels and ryokans in local areas, such as ‘Benesse House' in Naoshima, Kagawa, ‘Fufu Kawaguchiko' in Fuji-Kawaguchiko, Yamanashi, ‘Jusandi' in Ishigaki, Okinawa, ‘ENOWA YUFUIN’ in Yufu, Oita, or ‘Nishimuraya Honkan' in Toyooka, Hyogo.
One Key is defined as a very special stay to offer more special experiences than other same category hotels or ryokans. Unique hotels or ryokans, such as ‘Tokyo Station Hotel,’ ‘SHISHI-IWA-HOUSE Karuizawa' in Karuizawa, Nagano, ‘The Hiramatsu Hotels & Resorts Ginoza' in Ginoza, Okinawa or ‘Satoyama-Jujo' in Minamiuonuma, Niigata.
“MICHELIN Key hotels and ryokans are evidences of respect to unparalleled hospitality,” Gwendal Poullennec, MICHELIN Guide International Director, said. “More than half of MICHELIN Keys are selected in remote regions in Japan. We can contribute to growth of the hospitality industry in Japan by sending not only domestic travelers but also international travelers to local areas.”
(左から)ミシュランマン、プレネック氏、ミシュランガイド・RPWA事業部執行役員の三輪畯矢佳氏。
A searchable and bookable platform
MICHELIN Key hotels and ryokans are selected from MICHELIN Guide Hotel Selections every year. Criteria for Hotel Selections are ‘local experiences,’ ‘ Architecture and interior design,’ ‘quality of services and comfort stay,’ ‘value for money’ and ‘uniqueness.’
As of today, more than 6,000 hotels are listed globally and in Japan the listed hotels and ryokans increased from about 170 in November last year to 243. The listed MICHELIN Guide Hotel Selections are introduced on the official website only, not published as a guidebook.
MICHELIN Guide develops a searchable and bookable platform for MICHELIN Guide Hotel Selections on the official website and the official app.
