The Michelin Guide unveiled Thursday its ratings for hotels in Japan for the first time, with six facilities receiving the maximum three "keys," a designation similar to stars for restaurants.
Among the six that received the highest rating for promising an "extraordinary stay" are Gora Kadan in the famous hot spring area of Hakone near Tokyo and Palace Hotel Tokyo, according to Nihon Michelin Tire Co.
The announcement comes after the Michelin Guide released its new ratings for hotels first in France in April this year and then the United States, Spain and Italy. Japan became the fifth country to have its hotels rated.
Hotels are judged in five evaluation categories including architecture and interior design, quality of service and providing an experience worth the price, Michelin said.
Other than the six facilities with the top rating, Michelin selected 17 facilities for two keys for offering "an exceptional stay" and 85 for one key for providing "a very special stay."
© KYODO
20 Comments
藤原
Well thats nice but for me a good hotel needs
1 Friendly staff
2 温泉や銭湯 public bath
3 Breakfast normally free
Usually all three of these describes the Route Inn one of the best Hotels in Japan and quite inexpensive.
Boki24
'Friendly' service in Japan? Hmm, would you settle for very polite instead?
I have met the occasional friendly obaasan service staff at some hidden onsen, but otherwise, friendliness is not a character trait you are likely to find in Japan.
WoodyLee
No Thank you,
Anything that's not near the beach with plenty of plantation, flowers, palm trees, water fountain, outside dinning, watching the sunset, room windows can be opened and feel the ocean breeze is off my list.
Staying in a boxed room with the A/C on all day in NOT my style.
TokyoLiving
OK drama queen..
TokyoLiving
More anti-Japan girly drama..
JRO
I think as mentioned above, friendly and polite is two different things, but I honestly prefer polite over friendly when it comes to hotels, not there to hang out with the staff. The good thing about the service industry in Japan is that you can go to a 1 - 3 star hotel and get the same kind of polite attitude as you would at a 5 star hotel. In most countries if you go to a 1 - 3 star hotel the politeness and service drop with the rating, in the case of France the politeness of staff is probably worse at a 5 star hotel than at a Japanese 1 star hotel, at least if you don't speak french.
Moonraker
Does TokyoLiving get away with these rude comments? They seem to be her standard.
Alongfortheride
I would question how Palace Hotel got on that list.
vallum
How about English-speaking staff? Do these 3-stars hotels employ some?
A relative of mine, impecable English proficiency, tried to find a job in the industry in Japan. Well, he coudn't, because his Japanese, which isn't bad actually, wasn't up to their standards.
I can understand their point, not every guest is foreigner after all. But use someone's strong points, while brushing up their weak points and you're gonna have a valuable new member.
smithinjapan
Awesome! Now the car tire company is an expert in the hotel industry on top of restaurants.
Honestly, I haven't seen anyone who cares about Michelin ratings outside of Japan, and Michelin must be laughing itself all the way to the bank.
JRO
I mean people do at least know about it, but usually it just ends up being a reason to avoid it because it's probably expensive :P.
But feels like there are a lot of international rankings that are a way bigger deal here in Japan then it is in other countries, like I didn't even know what Unesco world heritage sites was before I came here in 2004, but here there was like articles about it almost every week during that period, whether certain places would be approved etc and that Japan has the most out of any country. Never really was a thing where I was born, and when I looked it up in my own country an old mine 100m away from the house I grew up in was on the list, even then no one talked about it.
DanteKH
Funny how those Michelin rates are only given to overly expensive hotels and ryokans.
For example, the Gora Kadan in Hakone, has the cheapest room available for 125,700 JPY, while one on the expensive side at 269,700JPY (https://go-gorakadan.reservation.jp/). Yes, 780$ for 1 single room for a night might not sound too much for the rich foreigner, but for the average Japanese tourist that's the salary for 1 week.
falseflagsteve
Been to a couple of Michelin places, quality service etc. Had as good standard cuisine though at more modest places for far less price.
mountainpear
@smithinjapan The Michelin Guide was started in 1900 by the Michelin Tire Company as a free gift for its customers and is the most well-known restaurant guide in the world! Getting a 3 Michelin star rating is the dream of every serious chef! People like Gordon Ramsay. Marco Pierre White, Michel Roux all became household names after receiving 3 stars!
gcFd1
Good distinction.
Moonraker
Come on Mods. For God's sake, what are you thinking and doing? Those crass comments by Tokyo Living are still up nearly 12 hours after posting. The other day you left another very rude comment up for hours and hours. We have to have some minimal standards of decency here otherwise, with the standard of posters around here, this place could turn into a free for all of nastiness.
wallace
vallum
The largest tourist groups are not English-speaking. They are Chinese and South Korean.
WoodyLee
TokyoLiving,
""OK drama queen..""
Hummmm!? must be living in a BOX, Your ID says it all.
zibala
In Japan the largest tourist groups are Japanese.
wallace
Domestic Japanese tourists who don't need English-speaking staff.