Michelin Guide grants ‘Michelin Key’ to 9 Korean hotels… Four Seasons Seoul 2-key upgrade

The Michelin Guide recently announced evaluation results with a somewhat unfamiliar name, ‘Michelin Key.’

It is equivalent to a 'Michelin star' for a restaurant, and has been announced for the second year in a row in Korea.

‘Michelin Key’ is a rating given by Michelin to accommodations.

The Michelin Guide announced the '2026 Michelin Key Selection' and announced that it had granted keys to 9 Korean hotels.

Among the 55 domestic hotels recommended by the Michelin Guide, three received 2 keys and 6 received 1 key.

However, there are no 3-key hotels in Korea.

The Michelin Key is not a rating that only evaluates a hotel's rooms or facilities.

This is a system where the Michelin Guide first selects recommended hotels and then grants 1 to 3 keys to those with particularly excellent lodging experiences.

Therefore, a distinction must be made between ‘Michelin Guide selected hotels’ and ‘Michelin key hotels’.

Also, even if a hotel has a Michelin star restaurant, the hotel's height rating is determined separately.

There are five evaluation criteria.

We look at the completeness of the architecture and interior design, the quality and consistency of service, the hotel's unique personality and characteristics, value for money, and correlation with the surrounding area or location.

The Michelin Guide combines these criteria and describes 1 key as a 'very special stay', 2 key as an 'outstanding stay', and 3 key as an 'excellent stay'.

The more keys you have, the higher the rating, but not only expensive hotels can receive keys.

In Korea, Four Seasons Hotel Seoul was promoted from 1 key last year to 2 key this year.

With the addition of the existing 2-key hotels, Signiel Seoul and Signiel Busan, there are now three 2-key hotels in Korea.

Yuwonjae, a hot spring hotel in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, received one key for the first time.

Yuwonjae is a 16-room hotel with a garden and individual hot spring baths in each room.

The remaining 1-key hotels are Shilla Seoul, Chosun Palace, Fairmont Ambassador Seoul, Art Paradiso in Incheon Paradise City, and JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa.

The number of Key Hotels in Korea increased from 8 last year to 9 this year.

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul's upgrade does not increase the total number of key hotels, so the increase is only one newly selected Yuwonjae.

According to this year's announcement, there are 2,832 Michelin Key hotels around the world.

Some of the more than 9,400 hotels recommended by the Michelin Guide received keys: 155 hotels with 3 keys, 657 with 2 keys, and 2,020 with 1 key.

A Michelin Guide official said, “Like restaurants, hotel evaluations are made after the evaluator personally stays without revealing his or her identity,” and added, “We also pay the lodging costs directly without any separate commercial cooperation with the hotel.”

He continued, "Michelin keys are divided into 1 to 3 keys, and in Korea, the first hotel to receive a key rating was announced last year. Last year, Signiel Seoul and Signiel Busan received the highest rating in Korea, 2 keys, and a 2 key hotel was added this year."

Regarding the reason why there are no 3-key hotels in Korea, he said, "We are evaluating according to global common standards, and it has been evaluated that there are currently no hotels in Korea that meet those standards."