Lancashire snubbed in new Michelin Keys hotel list

Whether you're looking for a fancy, slap-up meal or a good deal on car tyres, Michelin has been the go-to platform for a wide range of needs and recommendations.

The infamous Michelin Stars are given by the namesake Guide for 'exceptional cuisine' for restaurants across the world, with a number of eateries in Lancashire and Cumbria. These include Aughton's Moor Hall and Cartmel's L'Enclume, which is the only establishment in the north of England to boast three stars.

Today (Tuesday, October 1), Michelin has introduced its very first 'Key' selection for Great Britain and Ireland, awarding 123 properties for the most outstanding hotels throughout the country. But controversially Lancashire - and whilst we're at it, much of the North of England - has been snubbed from the list.

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'Keys' are given out much like stars, with one key given to a place offering "a very special stay", to three given to "an extraordinary stay". Following multiple anonymous stays, evaluating hotels, the Michelin inspectors awarded Keys to 123 hotels amongst more than 350 properties recommended in the broader Guide selection.

London alone boasts no less than eight of these awarded properties, some of which are iconic, world-renowned names such Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Savoy. Yet again, none in Lancashire. This is despite having the one Michelin starred restaurant of Northcote in Langho and the two Michelin starred establishment of Moor Hall and The Barn in Aughton.

The former has also been awarded the best restaurant in the UK and third best in the world according to TripAdvisor. However, success can be felt a little bit more in Cumbria, as a number of hotels in Windermere have been given the new coveted Keys. They are:

Two Keys (Cumbria)

• Gilpin Hotel & Lake House - Windermere

• The Samling Hotel - Windermere

One Key (Cumbria)

• Linthwaite House Hotel - Windermere

Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides, states: "For our latest European release, we are absolutely thrilled to present to world travellers our very first MICHELIN Key selection for Great Britain & Ireland. Featuring no fewer than 123 outstanding hotels, this selection is an invitation to explore the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, visit their historically rich cities, relax in their charming countryside and scenic landscapes, and enjoy, for a few nights, a timeless lifestyle in century-old castles and manor houses.

"From boutique hotels or flagship luxury properties located in eclectic London to country houses nestled in dramatic Irish countryside; from stunning Scottish manor houses to tranquil Welsh retreats: every hotel awarded One, Two or Three MICHELIN Keys is a gem sculpted by talented professionals. Using the MICHELIN Guide’s digital platforms, travellers can now filter their search and book hotels for stays that we hope will be unforgettable."

Three-key hotels in England

• The Newt in Somerset, Bruton

• Lucknam Park, Colerne

• Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, A Belmond Hotel, Oxfordshire

• Bvlgari Hotel London

• Claridge’s, London

• Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane

• Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London

• Raffles London at the OWO

• The Connaught, London

• The Peninsula London, London

• The Savoy, London

Two-key hotels in England

• Coworth Park, Dorchester Collection, Ascot

• The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, Bath

• Gidleigh Park, Changford

• Gravetye Manor, East Grinstead

• Lympstone Manor, Exmouth

• Hampton Manor, Hampton-in-Arden

• Heckfield Place, Heckfield

• Beaverbrook Surrey, Leatherhead

• Thyme, Lechlade

• 45 Park Lane, Dorchester Collection, London

• Brown’s Hotel, a Rocco Forte Hotel, London

• Corinthia London

• Covent Garden hotel, Firmdale Hotels, London

• Ham Yard, Firmdale Hotels, London

• Haymarket, Firmdale Hotels, London

• Hotel Café Royal, London

• Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London

• Rosewood London

• The Beaumont, London

• The Berkeley, London

• The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel, London

• The Dorchester, Dorchester Collection, London

• The Langham, London

• The Twenty Two, London

• Lime Wood hotel, Lyndhurst

• Whatley Manor Hotel and Spa, Malmesbury

• Chewton Glen hotel, New Milton

• Grantley Hall, Ripon

• Hambleton Hall, Rutland

• Cliveden House, Taplow

• Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, Windermere

• The Samling Hotel, Windermere

One-key hotels in England

• Amberley Castle, Sussex

• Bath Priory, Bath

• Homewood, Bath

• The Gainsborough Bath Spa, Bath

• The Queensberry Hotel, Bath

• The Yard, Bath

• The Collective at Woolsery, Bideford

• Farlam Hall Hotel & Restaurant, Brampton

• Artist Residence Brighton

• Artist Residence Bristol

• Number 38 Clifton, Bristol

• The Gallivant, Camber

• Cowley Manor Experimental, Cheltenham

• Foresters Hall, Cowes, Isle of Wight

• Forest Side Hotel, Grasmere

• Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire

• The Old Rectory, Hastings

• The Harper Langham, London

• One Hotel Mayfair, London

• Artist Residence London

• Baglioni Hotel London

• Beaverbrook Town House, London

• Broadwick Soho London

• Charlotte Street Hotel, London

• Chiltern Firehouse, London

• COMO the Halkin, London

• Flemings Mayfair, London

• Four Seasons hotel London

• Knightsbridge hotel, London

• L’oscar London

• NoMad London

• Number Sixteen, London

• One Aldwych, London

• Redchurch Townhouse, London

• Shangri-La the Shard London

• Sofitel London St James

• The Emory

• The Soho hotel, London

• The Vineyard Hotel & Spa, Newbury

• Estelle Manor, North Leigh

• Artist Residence Oxfordshire

• The Swan Southwold

• The Idle Rocks, St Mawes

• Hotel Tresanton, St. Mawes

• Thornbury Castle, Thornbury

• Artist Residence Cornwall

• Linthwaite House Hotel, Windermere

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