8 Taiwan hotels awarded Michelin Keys

台灣8家飯店榮獲米其林星鑰

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan secured eight spots on the latest Michelin Key hotel list, with Capella Taipei becoming the first and only hotel in Taiwan to receive two Keys after being promoted from one Key last year.

The Michelin Guide recognized 2,832 hotels worldwide. Taiwan's selection expanded beyond Taipei and Taichung to include Hsinchu County, Nantou County, and Kaohsiung, spanning city hotels, mountain resorts, lakeside accommodations, and hot spring retreats.

Capella Taipei was conceived as a “modern mansion,” welcoming guests into salon-style living spaces rather than a traditional lobby, with books, art, and curated furnishings. Designer Andre Fu incorporated Taiwanese cultural elements throughout the hotel, including a cocktail bar inspired by endemic birdlife, morning soy milk beneath a banyan tree, and evening tea sessions.

Seven hotels received one Michelin Key, including three that retained their recognition from last year: Kimpton Da An Taipei, Mandarin Oriental Taipei, and Hoshinoya Guguan. Four hotels debuted on the one-Key list, including InterContinental Kaohsiung, The Lalu, Villa 32, and The One Nanyuan.

InterContinental Kaohsiung offers city views, a fitness center, an indoor swimming pool, and multiple restaurants. Its inclusion marks the expansion of Michelin Key recognition to Kaohsiung.

The Lalu in Nantou County sits along Sun Moon Lake and features extensive woodwork in its architecture and interiors. Its suites include bedrooms, spacious living rooms, and large balconies overlooking the surrounding lake and mountains.

Villa 32 in Beitou specializes in hot spring accommodations and has only five guest rooms. Each room features a private hot spring bath and Japanese or Western-inspired design.

Taiwanese architect Han Pao-teh (漢寶德) designed The One Nanyuan in Hsinchu County's Xinpu Township, inspired by a Song Dynasty painting. Set among wooded hills, the property incorporates cultural elements through its woodwork, courtyards, and landscape design.

Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide, said, “This second global selection of the Michelin Keys reflects the extraordinary momentum driving the hospitality sector once again this year." The 2026 selection added nearly 470 hotels worldwide, as “hoteliers are reinventing the stay experience through more immersive, personalized, and experiential concepts.”

The Michelin Key system evaluates hotels through anonymous and independent visits by inspectors using five universal criteria. The assessment focuses on the overall accommodation experience rather than individual facilities or services.

Michelin Keys are awarded across three levels, with one Key recognizing a “very special stay,” two Keys an exceptional stay, and three Keys an extraordinary stay. The selection was launched in 2024 across 15 destinations in North America, Europe, and Asia, and now covers 79 destinations worldwide.