The MICHELIN Guide’s selection of 2026 MICHELIN Key is here. Among the several entries, the Asia section recognises 47 hotels across India as part of a global list of 2,832 properties across 79 destinations. The Keys are the hotel equivalent of the MICHELIN Star and assess the stay itself, with inspectors considering architecture and interior design, service, personality and character, value, and a hotel’s contribution to its surroundings.
Hotels receive One, Two or Three MICHELIN Keys. One Key denotes a “very special stay,” Two Keys an “exceptional stay,” and Three Keys an “extraordinary stay” in the Guide’s terminology. The 2026 global selection comprises 2,020 One-Key, 657 Two-Key and 155 Three-Key hotels.
India’s top honours remain with two palace hotels: Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad and Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur. Both retain Three MICHELIN Keys, the highest distinction in the hotel selection. MICHELIN describes the category as being reserved for properties where the experience is considered sufficiently remarkable for the hotel itself to become a destination.
15 Indian properties have been awarded Two Keys.
The Kumaon, Almora
Aman-i-Khas, Ranthambhore
Amanbagh, Ajabgarh
Six Senses Fort Barwara, Sawai Madhopur
The Imperial, New Delhi
The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
The Leela Palace, New Delhi
The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra
SUJÁN Sher Bagh, Sawai Madhopur
SUJÁN Jawai, Bisalpur
Raffles Udaipur
Raffles Jaipur
The Leela Palace, Jaipur
The Oberoi Vindhyavilas Wildlife Resort, Bandhavgarh
Sitara Himalaya, Manali
The largest category in India comprises 30 hotels. The list includes-
RAAS Devigarh, Udaipur
Taj Mahal, New Delhi
Taj Rishikesh Resort & Spa, Uttarakhand
Six Senses Vana, Dehradun
Taj Usha Kiran Palace, Gwalior
Anantara Jewel Bagh, Jaipur
Dolkhar, Ladakh
Woods at Sasan, Sasan Gir
Mharo Khet, Jodhpur
Taj Mahal Tower, Mumbai
The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur
The Johri, Jaipur
Rajmahal Palace RAAS, Jaipur
The Oberoi Vanyavilas, Ranthambhore
Soho House, Mumbai
Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai
The Leela Palace, Chennai
The Oberoi, Gurgaon
Taj Nadesar Palace, Varanasi
Suján The Serai, Jaisalmer
Taj Devi Ratn Resort & Spa, Jaipur
The Lodhi, New Delhi
Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai
The St. Regis, Mumbai
Hotel Irada, Pune Wine Country
Manuscript – Jhilwara Haveli, Udaipur
The Ritz-Carlton, Pune
Fairmont, Mumbai
Narendra Bhawan, Bikaner
Ran Baas The Palace, Patiala
The 2026 selection also reflects the range of hotel formats now being recognised by the Guide, from historic palace hotels and established city properties to wildlife lodges, tented stays and smaller independent hotels. MICHELIN says its inspectors spent a year searching for new additions globally, with nearly 500 hotels receiving their first Key distinction and more than 80 properties receiving upgrades.
For India, the 47-property selection places the country among the destinations covered in the Guide’s expanding global hotel programme. The 2026 MICHELIN Key selection was announced on September 18, with India recording 47 recognised hotels across the three tiers.