Archive · 21 Sep 2026
MICHELIN Keys Highlight India’s Landmark Palace Hotels Nationwide
The MICHELIN Guide gives special awards called MICHELIN Keys to outstanding hotels.
These awards look at things such as design, service, character and the overall guest experience.
The 2026 selection recognised hotels around the world.
India had the largest reported number of recognised hotels among the 11 locations in this regional selection.
Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur and Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad received the highest level, Three MICHELIN Keys.
Several hotels in Mumbai and other Indian cities also received recognition.
One key means a very special stay, two means an exceptional stay and three means an extraordinary stay.
The article gives two different totals for India—47 hotels in one section and 36 in another—so the exact total is unclear.
The MICHELIN Guide’s 2026 selection recognised 2,832 hotels worldwide, including nearly 470 new properties across 79 locations.
India reportedly led the 11-location regional selection with 47 recognised hotels, although the article later refers to 36 Indian hotels.
Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad and Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur received Three MICHELIN Keys.
The Taj Mahal Palace and Soho House Mumbai were among the Mumbai hotels recognised, alongside The St. Regis Mumbai and Woods At Sasan.
Other named recipients included The Kumaon, The Imperial, The Oberoi Vindhyavillas, Dolkhar and Leela Palace Chennai.
- Who
- The MICHELIN Guide and the Indian hotels included in its 2026 selection.
- What
- A global hotel recognition list awarded MICHELIN Keys for exceptional design, service, character and guest experiences.
- When
- The MICHELIN Guide’s 2026 selection.
- Where
- Hotels across India, including properties in Udaipur, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Ladakh and Chennai.
- Why
- To recognise hotels judged to offer very special, exceptional or extraordinary stays.
- Global hotels recognised
- 2,832 hotels in the MICHELIN Guide’s 2026 worldwide selection.
- Newly recognised hotels
- Nearly 470 properties were newly recognised across 79 locations.
- India’s reported position
- India had the highest reported number of MICHELIN Key hotels among 11 locations in the regional selection.
- India total cited
- The article says 47 Indian establishments received recognition, but later refers to 36 Indian hotels.
- Three-Key properties
- Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur and Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad received Three MICHELIN Keys.
- MICHELIN Key levels
- One key represents a very special experience, two an exceptional experience and three an extraordinary experience.
- Evaluation criteria
- The distinction considers architecture, interior design, service quality, character and the overall guest experience.