NEW DELHI: Managers of great hotels in India now worry about one thing the chefs there don’t have to lose sleep over — visits by anonymous Michelin inspectors to see if a property has earned the stars; if it remains good enough to retain them or move up the ladder from one to two and two to the ultimate three stars.The French tyre MNC, which first started grading restaurants and then hotels in its eponymous guide book exactly a century ago to encourage people to buy the then relatively new concept of cars and drive more, had begun rating hotels in India by giving “Keys” last year.In 2025, India had 36 Michelin Key hotels and now that number has gone up by almost a third to 47 for 2026 — representing 10% of the 470 new hotels across 79 destinations globally that have been given one, two or three stars.In a response to TOI query, a statement from Michelin Guide said: “We do not disclose the total number of properties evaluated by our teams. For (2026) selection, 112 Indian hotels enter the Michelin Guide, including 47 distinguished with one, two or three Keys. Two hotels with three Keys; 15 with two Keys; 30 with one Key and 65 selected hotels.”Taj Falaknuma Palace and Taj Lake Palace have earned three Keys each. Those who have two Keys include Oberoi in Agra, Udaipur and Bandhavgarh; Leela Palace in Delhi and Jaipur; Raffles in Jaipur and Udaipur and The Imperial, Delhi. India’s first luxury hotel, Mumbai’s iconic Taj Mahal Tower, has got one Key as has the adjacent Taj Mahal Tower.Many Indian chefs abroad have got Michelin stars. However restaurants in India still await those stars. Asked if it plans to start the rating for the same, the Michelin Guide statement said: “At this stage, we have no information to share on this subject… will communicate in due course should an announcement be made regarding this market.”On rating hotels here, the statement said: “The Michelin Keys in India were awarded following anonymous visits and stays carried out by our inspectors, who are full-time employees of the Michelin group, based on five universal criteria applied in every destination. This anonymity ensures that our teams have the same experience as any other guest. This is why a Michelin Key holds the same value, whether it is awarded to a hotel in India, a ryokan in Japan or a boutique hotel in France.”The selection criteria are: “excellence in architecture and design; quality and consistency of service; overall personality and character; value for price and contribution to neighbourhood. “Hotels awarded one or more Keys do not meet just one of these criteria, but all of them,” it says. While one key represents “a very special stay”, two stands for “exceptional stay” and three for “extraordinary stay.” The French company did not disclose the number of inspectors who came to India or the details of their travels “in order to preserve their anonymity.”Leading chefs and hoteliers in India say many places like Vietnam, Dubai and Thailand took the initiative (read funded) for getting stars for their restaurants. Michelin Guide did not say how its expense for rating the hotels in India last year and this were covered.“India has got some of the best hotels in the world and our cuisine is known globally. Having rated restaurants will give an impetus to food tourism. Indian chefs abroad have stars but Indian eateries don’t have the same. This is something we need to work on as a country, especially as our foreign tourists arrivals remain way below the pre-Covid number even as number of Indians travelling abroad keeps rising,” said a leading hotelier who did not want to be named.“The same way the Michelin Star recognises restaurants for outstanding cooking, the Michelin Key recognises hotels for outstanding stays,” says the company’s website.
