Four Ayala Land Hotels in Palawan and Makati Receive 2026 Michelin Keys
Key Takeaways
- •El Nido Lagen Island and Raffles Makati each earned Two Michelin Keys, standing as the Philippines' only hotels at that tier in the 2026 selection.
- •Pangulasian Island and Fairmont Makati each received One Michelin Key, giving Ayala Land Hospitality four recognized properties in a single edition.
- •Lagen Island secured its Two Key distinction immediately after completing a one-year renovation.
- •The Michelin Key, introduced in 2024 by the France-based Michelin Guide, is granted at three levels: One Key for a very special experience, Two Keys for an exceptional stay, and Three Keys for an extraordinary stay.
- •Other Philippine One Key recipients for 2026 include NUSTAR Hotel Cebu, Hotel Okura Manila, Manami Resort, Amanpulo, and Nay Palad Hideaway, extending recognition across Cebu, Metro Manila, Negros Occidental, Palawan, and Siargao.
Four Ayala Land Hospitality properties in Palawan and Makati have earned recognition in the 2026 Michelin Guide hotel selection, with El Nido Lagen Island and Raffles Makati each awarded Two Michelin Keys and Pangulasian Island and Fairmont Makati each receiving One Michelin Key.
The Michelin Key is the hotel distinction of the Michelin Guide, the France-based publication best known for its Michelin Stars for restaurants. Introduced in 2024, the distinction is awarded at three levels: One Key signifies a very special experience, Two Keys are reserved for stays considered exceptional, and Three Keys denote an extraordinary stay. The 2026 selection therefore arrives only two years into the program's existence, with each new edition still building a short record of where the Guide's hotel honors are placed.
In the Philippine selection for 2026, Lagen Island — which has just completed a one-year renovation — and the all-suite Raffles Makati stand as the country's only Two Michelin Key hotels. Both of the country's top-tier Keys for 2026 consequently sit within a single hospitality group.
Aside from Pangulasian Island and Fairmont Makati, the other Philippine properties awarded One Michelin Keys for 2026 are NUSTAR Hotel Cebu, Hotel Okura Manila at Newport World Resorts, Manami Resort in Negros Occidental, Amanpulo in Palawan, and Nay Palad Hideaway in Siargao. Taken together, the One Key roster maps a selection stretching from Cebu and Metro Manila to Negros Occidental, Palawan, and Siargao — reaching well beyond the capital.
The four recognized properties span island resorts in El Nido, Palawan — Lagen Island and Pangulasian Island — and hotels in Makati City, Metro Manila's central business district. Ayala Land Hospitality is the hospitality arm of Ayala Land, one of the Philippines' largest property developers, and the results give the group recognized properties in both destination resorts and city hotels in the same edition. With Lagen Island carrying its new rating straight off a year-long renovation, its placement in future Key selections is the immediate thing to track.
Source: BusinessWorld Online
