27 March 2026
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The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors are a hard-working crew. They spend their days scouring the earth to find the most extraordinary hotels for all budgets – places that stand out for their style, service and personality. As a result, the MICHELIN Guide's hotel selection features over 8,000 amazing places to stay in more than 130 countries. Below, they share nine of their favourite recent discoveries.
VALO Ice Cube Villas – Saariselkä, Finland
What it’s all about: Four eye-popping villas at the edge of the Arctic, in prime Northern Lights territory.This far north – 150 miles above the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland – the landscape does most of the work. VALO’s four cube-shaped villas play off that landscape, their exteriors inspired by ice blocks. Inside, design is all Nordic, functional beauty, with floor-to-ceiling windows that make the tundra outside into something between wallpaper and spectacle.
Private saunas, hot tubs and fireplaces mute the subzero temperatures, but VALO welcomes guests in the warmer seasons too, when the Northern Lights give way to the Midnight Sun, hiking and interaction with the region’s Indigenous Sàmi culture.
Hotel Le Temple – Borobudur, Indonesia
What it’s all about: A jungle-framed retreat steps from the world’s largest Buddhist temple.Set less than half a mile from the ninth-century Borobudur Temple, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world’s largest Buddhist monument, this hotel has, somehow, even more to recommend it than its location.
Four categories of freestanding villas sport teak wood and floor-to-ceiling windows, with some that face the lagoon and others with their own private hot tubs or plunge pools. Two restaurants make for convenient evenings, while guided tours of the temple fill most days.
Theros All Suite Hotel – Kos, Greece
What it’s all about: Slow living and fragrant gardens on an island with a unique claim to fame.It’s a good sign when the least you can expect from your hotel is a private outdoor terrace. It’s even better when it’s set just minutes from the charming center of Kos – the Greek island where the legendary ancient Greek physician Hippocrates was born, and where historic monuments cosy up to lively beach bars. Theros is as its name suggests: a suites-only sprawl built from organic materials with typical Greek flair. For those without private pool rooms, this adults-only property offers two swimming pools and a spa, all anchored by the concept of slow living.
Particular attention has been paid to the landscape: curated gardens are fragrant with jasmine, plumeria and olive trees from the personal grove of the family who runs the hotel. Two bar-restaurants inspired by Hippocrates’ belief that food is medicine round out the experience.
Belvedere Hotel – Kingston, Canada
What it’s all about: A grand 19th-century château turned boutique landmark in the heart of the historic Ontario town of Kingston.What started as a private residence in 1880 became Kingston’s most glamorous address by the 20th century, and a recent restoration has only sharpened its reputation. A collection of individually designed rooms and suites land somewhere between Victorian and contemporary in style, with fireplaces, patterned rugs and antique-style chairs sitting pretty beneath original crown-molded ceilings, while blackout curtains and smart TVs gently remind you that this is 2026.
The brick-walled spa feels more European bathhouse than hotel amenity, while the Lounge delivers farm-to-table small plates of local Ontario produce alongside craft beer, a thoughtful wine list and classic cocktails – think refined living room, not crowded bar. Outside, Kingston’s limestone waterfront and cruises towards the Thousand Islands are within easy reach.
The Shelborne by Proper – Miami Beach, USA
What it’s all about: A South Beach icon reborn with a generous refresh and an oceanfront attitude to match.This South Beach staple is known for regular reinventions, and its newest look just may be the most impressive of all. Proper Hotels’ $100 million injection has left The Shelborne as fresh and luxurious as ever, an investment in one of the most coveted oceanfront locations on the island. Natural light plays on neutral tones, pops of tropical patterns and art deco detail.
Bedrooms and suites – many with furnished balconies facing the Atlantic – include ocean-view standards and two-bedroom pool villas. The iconic restored pool deck features a signature diving platform, but it’s the fitness centre that’s over-the-top in a way only Miami can pull off – with Peloton bikes, Reformer machines and an Alo yoga studio. If Collins Avenue is seeing a resurgence, The Shelborne is leading the charge.
The Retreat – Atenas, Costa Rica
What it’s all about: A wellness sanctuary in the overlooked inland mountains of Costa Rica.Costa Rica is largely known for sun and surf, though the popular Central American country has many sides to its personality. The inland mountains west of the capital are one such overlooked angle, where rainforest landscapes and crystal-quartz mountains invite profound introspection. To complement the setting are wellness offerings diverse enough to anchor a full week's stay, from yoga to an Ayurvedic centre and spa to detox therapies and emotional healing programs.
Lodging ranges from luxury loft to three-bedroom villa, with sweeping views of the jungle canopy and ocean. Cuisine is locally sourced, as expected for a health-focused bolthole like this one, without sacrificing on an impressive list of wine, beer and cocktails.
Rosewood San Miguel de Allende – San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
What it’s all about: Architectural grandeur and rooftop views in one of Mexico’s most celebrated UNESCO towns.Nothing screams Mexico quite like a terracotta-coloured hacienda, punctuated with palm trees and a mosaic-tiled central fountain, steps from a UNESCO Old Town square. Rosewood chose to replicate a colonial structure for its San Miguel de Allende location, and the rooms and suites lean fully into their 19th-century design courtesy of details such as gas fireplaces. The rooftop tapas bar draws a stylish crowd for great drinks and even greater views. Also on the top floor is a sprawling spa.
Leaving the property, as hard as it may be, is a must: San Miguel is known for colourful festivals, magnificent historic sights and the kind of impromptu fireworks show that needs no occasion.
Le Petit Pali St. Helena – St. Helena, USA
What it’s all about: An eccentric wine-country charmer on the quiet end of Napa Valley.Set in California wine country, Le Petit's look sits somewhere between English country cottage and quirky seaside resort, with equally eclectic rooms – some with charming patios, others that stand alone as cosy cottages, complete with fireplaces. Lounge by the pool, in the hot tub or on a sun-drenched terrace, or stroll the quiet street to downtown St. Helena for a night on the town.
The lack of on-site restaurant is no hardship when Napa Valley overflows with MICHELIN Stars. Meanwhile, critical dining needs are covered: a continental breakfast with champagne and local pastries, plus a nightly delivery of house-made cookies, rounds out one of the world’s top culinary corners nicely.
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Palazzo Santa Maria – Syros Island, Greece
What it’s all about: Historic grandeur and Cycladic charm inside a 19th-century landmark mansion.Set inside an 1874 neoclassical mansion designated a monument by the Greek Ministry of Culture, six guest rooms draped in jewelled tones – royal blues, burgundies and deep greens – showcase remnants of once-hidden frescoes alongside period-style furnishings and antiques from the owner’s personal collection. Each room is individually styled, suggesting nothing in this hotel is simply standard.
Mornings begin with a homemade Greek breakfast of seasonal ingredients. From there, wander winding alleyways to the medieval city of Ano Syros to the west and Hermoupolis, the South Aegean capital, to the east. Cycladic houses and narrow lanes surround a town square that regularly hosts live music and cultural fairs, with bustling tavernas and local bars never far behind.
And there you have it. Nine of the best hotels recently added to our bespoke MICHELIN Guide hotel collection, a highly curated selection that covers all of your hotel needs, from glampsites, treehouses and hotels built of ice to peaceful Venetian hideaways, Northern Lights packages and luxurious mountainside wellness/activity retreats.
Hero Image: One of the newest hotels to be added to the MICHELIN Guide collection (© Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, Mexico)
