A number of Ireland's most prestigious resorts and country houses have been awarded as some of the first Michelin Key hotels - a brand new distinction from the Michelin Guide which hands out coveted Michelin Star awards to the best of the best for food. The Michelin Guide has said its new Keys distinction - which includes Three Key, Two Key and One Key awards - highlights the "crème de la crème" of its thousands of selected hotels. Any hotel with a Michelin Key offers some of the "most outstanding experiences" in the world.
Just like the Michelin Star celebrates outstanding cooking, the Michelin Key is for outstanding stays. A One Key award is for a "very special stay," Two Keys is "an exceptional stay" and Three Keys denotes "an extraordinary stay." In Munster, the luxury 19th Century Adare Manor estate in Limerick was awarded the highest hotel honour of Three Keys for its exceptional beauty and charm.
Inspectors were impressed by the neo-Gothic manor house surrounded by 840 acres of formal French gardens and parklands, with particular attention paid to the luxury suites and standout sporting offerings including golf, horseriding, falconry and shooting. The Ryder Cup will be played here in 2027. Cashel Palace got Two Keys, as the Michelin Guide fawned over the glamorous Tipperary hotel, the estate's consistent style, spa, gardens, equestrian offering and the Micheline-Starred Bishop’s Buttery restaurant.
Also scooping Two Keys was Sheen Falls in Kenmare, Kerry which wa.