Who would have thought that the arbiter of good taste would be the long lost brother of a prominent character in Ghostbusters? For over 97 years, being awarded one (or more) Michelin stars has signified an achievement only few will attain and the pinnacle of fine dining. Now get ready to say hello to Michelin keys.
The French tire company will start awarding "keys" to hotels around the world in 2024 that meet it's high standards. As with restaurants, Michelin will rely on its own judges checking in anonymously to hopefully experience a top tier stay. A long way since their first published guide in 1900 aimed at convincing people to drive long distances to restaurants so they could sell more tires, Michelin's latest move to grow their program in the hospitality sector has come.
The Michelin program to award keys will help the company compete with rivals La Liste and World's 50 Best which both began ranking hotels this year for the first time. Keys will be awarded for various judging criteria including "arousing the emotion of customers and asserting its own personality". With an existing ability to book hotel stays through their website following the acquisition of Tablet in 2018, the key program seems to be fitting right in their wheelhouse.
So stars or keys? Both Michelin designations will indicate an experience beyond par!
Wingspan Newsletter Volume 126