Travel News: 7 S’pore hotels awarded Michelin Keys at inaugural award ceremony

SINGAPORE – Raffles Hotel has come up tops among the seven Singapore properties named in the Michelin Guide’s inaugural

Global Michelin Keys Selection

, announced on Oct 9 at a ceremony in Paris as well as online.

A total of 2,457 hotels made the selection list, whittled down from more than 7,000 Michelin Guide-recommended hotels. There are a total of 35 Singapore hotels listed in the guide.

Raffles Hotel was awarded three keys, while six others – Artyzen Singapore, Capella Singapore, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, Mandarin Oriental Singapore, Parkroyal Collection Pickering and Raffles Sentosa Singapore – received one key.

There are currently only 143 three-key hotels in the world, representing the cream of the crop in the selection.

In 1900, the Michelin Guide, a 400-page guidebook of the world’s best restaurants and hotels, was launched for travellers. Michelin stars, the highest accolade awarded by inspectors to restaurants that are part of the guide, were created in 1926.

Nearly a century later came the key. Like the stars, there are three levels of keys in increasing degrees of distinction.

Hotels are awarded based on five criteria: excellence in architecture and interior design, quality and consistency of service, overall personality and character, value for the price, and a significant contribution to the neighbourhood.

“Within the Michelin Key selection, travellers will find hotels to suit every budget and preference, from grand classics to contemporary boutique stays, ensuring everyone can experience the best of hospitality wherever they go,” says Mr Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide.

“Having seven hotels from Singapore awarded Michelin Keys... underscores how its hotels continue to raise the bar in areas such as service, design, individuality and overall guest experience – standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in the world.”

The first Michelin Keys were announced in April 2024 and included selections from only 15 countries in North America, Europe and Asia such as France and the United States.

The newly released global selection spans nine regions, including the Middle East, Oceania and Africa. This is a breakdown of the number of hotels awarded in each region:

Within Asia, Japan has the highest number of awarded hotels at 128, which includes established names like Six Senses Kyoto and Bvlgari Hotel Tokyo, as well as independent brands like Palace Hotel Tokyo and Naoshima Ryokan Roka. Thailand follows with 62 hotels and China with 42 hotels.

In another accolade for the local hospitality scene, the

Conde Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards 2025

– released on Oct 7 and based on more than 750,000 votes cast by readers – named Singapore the fourth-best city in the world. This is the Republic’s seventh year in the list’s top five.

Changi Airport took top spot on its list of the best airports in the world, and Raffles Hotel was crowned the best hotel in Singapore. Other hotels that made top 10 in Singapore include InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay and The Warehouse Hotel.