Australia’s 2026 Michelin Key Hotels have been announced – and 54 made the list

Foodies have relied on Michelin Stars for decades to find the absolute best spots to dine overseas. So if you’re travelling halfway across the globe just to eat, it only makes sense to stay somewhere equally incredible – which is exactly where Michelin Keys come in.

When the hotel equivalent of Michelin Stars launched Down Under last year, 35 Aussie properties made the cut. Now, the 2026 awards have crowned a fresh wave of luxury stays – adding 22 new hotels and three promotions to the lineup. That brings the nation’s total to 54 Michelin Key hotels, including 18 in NSW, eight in Victoria and Queensland, six in Tasmania and South Australia, three in Western Australia and just one in the Northern Territory.

Let’s quickly run you through how the awards work. Anonymous inspectors review thousands of hotels globally across five core criteria: design, quality of service, unique character, value for money and contribution to their local area. Like Michelin Stars, hotels can earn up to three keys: one for “a very special stay”, two for “an exceptional stay” and three for “an extraordinary stay”.

Last year, Queensland’s Lizard Island Resort stood out as the only Australian property – and one of just 143 hotels globally – to earn the coveted Three Keys. This year, two more iconic wilderness stays have joined the top tier, including Kangaroo Island’s Southern Ocean Lodge and Tasmania’s Saffire Freycinet. Tucked away in rugged landscapes with dramatic ocean views, these ultra-luxe escapes showcase Australia’s natural beauty at its best.

The multi-award-winning Capella Sydney was the only other hotel in the nation to earn a promotion, joining an elite club of just nine Australian stays to earn Two Keys. Meanwhile, the adults-only Sequoia Lodge in the Adelaide Hills – previously named by our Editor as one of the world’s most beautiful hotels – made an impressive debut on the list with Two Keys.

This year, 21 Aussie hotels were newly awarded One Key – from fresh openings like The Sundays on Hamilton Island and Ardour Milton Park in Bowral to boutique gems like Halcyon House and Le Mas Barossa. You can check out the full list of Australian inclusions in the 2026 Michelin Key Hotels guide below.

The Australian hotels awarded Michelin Keys in 2026

Three Michelin Keys

• Lizard Island Resort, Lizard Island, QLD
• Saffire Freycinet, Coles Bay, TAS (Promoted to 3 Keys)
• Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, SA (Promoted to 3 Keys)

Two Michelin Keys

• Capella Lodge, Lord Howe Island, NSW
• Capella Sydney, NSW (Promoted to 2 Keys)
• Jackalope Hotel, Mornington Peninsula, VIC
• Longitude 131, Yulara, NT
• Silky Oaks Lodge, Daintree Rainforest, QLD
• Sequoia Lodge, Adelaide Hills, SA (NEW)
• Spicers Peak Lodge, Maryvale, QLD
• Spicers Sangoma Retreat, Blue Mountains, NSW
• Thorngrove Manor, Adelaide, SA

One Michelin Key

• 1 Hotel Melbourne, VIC
• Ardour Milton Park, Bowral, NSW (NEW)
• Basq House, Byron Bay, NSW
• Blackbird Byron Bay, NSW (NEW)
• Chalets at Blackheath, NSW (NEW)
• COMO The Treasury, Perth, WA
• Crystalbrook Albion, Surry Hills, NSW
• Drift House, Port Fairy, VIC
• El Questro – The Homestead, Kununurra, WA (NEW)
• Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, NSW
• Gaia Retreat & Spa, Brooklet, NSW (NEW)
• Halcyon House, Cabarita Beach, NSW (NEW)
• Il Delfino Seaside Inn, Yamba, NSW
• InterContinental Sorrento Mornington Peninsula, VIC (NEW)
• InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach by IHG, NSW (NEW)
• Lanson Place Parliament Gardens, Melbourne, VIC (NEW)
• Le Mas Barossa, Tanunda, SA (NEW)
• Lon Retreat & Spa, Point Lonsdale, VIC (NEW)
• MACq 01 Hotel, Hobart, TAS
• Maleny Lodge, QLD (NEW)
• Mount Lofty House, Adelaide Hills, SA (NEW)
• Mt Mulligan Lodge, QLD (NEW)
• Osborn House, Bundanoon, NSW
• Park Hyatt Sydney, NSW
• Pretty Beach House, NSW (NEW)
• QT Sydney, NSW
• Qualia, Hamilton Island, QLD
• Sticky Rice Villas, Adelaide, SA (NEW)
• The Calile Hotel, Brisbane, QLD
• The Corinda Collection, Hobart, TAS (NEW)
• The Eve Hotel, Redfern, NSW
• The Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart, TAS
• The Islington Hotel, Hobart, TAS
• The Langham Melbourne, VIC (NEW)
• The Langham, Sydney, NSW
• The Porter House Hotel Sydney – MGallery, NSW (NEW)
• The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne, VIC
• The Sanctuary at Alba Thermal Springs & Spa, Fingal, VIC (NEW)
• The Sundays, Hamilton Island, QLD (NEW)
• The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart, TAS
• Wildlife Retreat at Taronga, Mosman, NSW
• Yala Yallingup Retreat and Spa, WA

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