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We all know about Michelin stars, but are you aware of Michelin keys? The distinction was introduced two years ago to recognise the world’s most exceptional hotels.
Just like the stars, hotels are awarded one, two or three keys by anonymous Michelin inspectors. Each one is judged on five factors: ‘architecture and interior design; quality and consistency of service; overall personality and character; value for the price; and a significant contribution to the guest experience in a particular setting’.
Now, four new London hotels have been handed esteemed keys. Three of them received one key and the fourth joined a prestigious list of hotels with two keys. Here’s a look at each of them in more detail.
The Chancery Rosewood
The Chancery has been heaped with accolades ever since it opened last September at the former US Embassy on Grosvenor Square. It was named the best new luxury hotel of 2025, is home to the world’s best afternoon tea and was ranked among the top 100 hotels in the world. Now, it can add two Michelin keys to its awards shelf. Every one of the 144 rooms at the Chancery is a luxurious suite, and there are eight restaurants and bars for guests to choose from, plus a roof terrace, huge pool and an incredibly plush spa. For the pleasure, you’re looking at a minimum of £1,280 a night.
Pan Pacific London
One Michelin key was awarded to Pan Pacific London, which conveniently sits a stone’s throw from Liverpool Street Station. Michelin says that the 237 rooms and suites here ‘are uniformly chic in a palatable way’ and all sit ‘somewhere on the spectrum from luxurious to extravagant’. Guests also have an infinity pool, Diptyque toiletries and the Singaporean-inspired Straits Kitchen at their disposal.
Six Senses London
Six Senses sits alongside The Chancery as one of the city’s most decorated new hotels. It’s now the owner of one Michelin key thanks to ‘sleek-yet-organic warmth’ and its incredible spa (which is ultimately its main draw). The glamorous accommodation opened in the former Whiteleys department store in west London in March following a massive £1.5 billion redevelopment. It boasts 109 swish rooms and a wellness hub decked out with a Finnish sauna, a quartz crystal bed, a 20-metre swimming pool, a magnesium plunge pool and a cryochamber.
The Newman
The final new hotel to get one Michelin key was The Newman in Fitzrovia. Though it’s slap bang in the heart of central London, a short walk from Oxford Circus station, The Newman is a zen hub. It opened back in February, with design-led bedrooms, a wellness floor, an intimate bar and an exceptional all-day restaurant. After spending a night there, our writer said: ‘Despite its location, The Newman manages to be the definition of rest and relaxation: staff greet you in smiley but gentle tones, while soft lighting and lush scents complete the sense of zen’.
Explore all of the best hotels in London here.
Check out: London’s poshest new hotel will open next spring in a former palace for Prime Ministers and princes.
Plus: The world’s 50 best hotels have been named – and 3 are in London.
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