MICHELIN Keys 2026: Celebrating outstanding New Zealand stays
New Zealand’s luxury hospitality scene has reason to celebrate. The 2026 MICHELIN Guide has announced its latest Key selection, recognising superlative stays around the world, and four outstanding properties from the Luxury Villas of New Zealand collection are among those honoured.
From the secluded coastline of Banks Peninsula and Kaikōura’s spectacular meeting of mountains and sea, to the Bay of Islands and the wild beauty of the Wairarapa, each offers a distinctly New Zealand expression of luxury.
Annandale and Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses have each been newly awarded One MICHELIN Key, Eagles Nest holds One MICHELIN Key, while Wharekauhau Country Estate, home to Foley Villa, holds Two MICHELIN Keys.
The recognition celebrates four very different properties, but also many of the qualities that sit at the heart of Luxury Villas of New Zealand: inspiring spaces, immersive experiences and a unique sense of place.
What is a MICHELIN Key?
The MICHELIN Key is the hotel equivalent of the celebrated MICHELIN Star, recognising the most outstanding stays within the MICHELIN Guide’s global hotel selection.
Awarded independently by MICHELIN Guide Inspectors, the Keys consider the guest experience as a whole. Hotels are evaluated across five universal criteria, including excellence in architecture and interior design, quality and consistency of service, individual character, value for the experience, and the property’s connection to its destination and setting.
One MICHELIN Key (newly awarded)
Set across more than 6,000 acres of spectacular coastal farmland on Banks Peninsula, Annandale is a place where privacy comes with an extraordinary sense of scale. Its architecturally distinctive private villas are immersed in a landscape of rolling pasture, rugged coastline and the Pacific Ocean, creating a stay that feels both beautifully considered and wonderfully removed from the everyday.
For owner Mark Palmer, Annandale’s first MICHELIN Key is as much a recognition of the people behind the experience as the remarkable place itself.
“I am delighted that Annandale has been awarded One MICHELIN Key. We are fortunate to have a very special place here on Banks Peninsula, with more than 6,000 acres of coastal farmland and a remarkable landscape that is at the heart of the Annandale experience. But it is our people who bring that experience to life…”
— Mark Palmer, Owner, Annandale
One MICHELIN Key (newly awarded)
Set between the Seaward Kaikōura Range and the Pacific Ocean, Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses captures the drama of a place where mountains meet the sea. Its celebrated tree houses rise into the native kānuka canopy, while thoughtful architecture, natural materials and expansive views create an intimate connection with the landscape that surrounds it.
Hapuku’s first MICHELIN Key recognises a vision shaped over many years by owner Tony Wilson and the Wilson family, and brought to life by the team who care for each guest experience.
“The MICHELIN Key is a wonderful testament to owner Tony Wilson and the Wilson family’s vision in creating Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses, and to the incredible team who bring that vision to life every day. It is also a reflection of the guests who have embraced and supported Hapuku over the years.”
— Emile Van Der Linde, GM, Hapuku Lodge & Treehouses
One MICHELIN Key
Perched above the historic town of Russell, Eagles Nest occupies a spectacular position overlooking the islands and blue waters of the Bay of Islands. Its collection of private residences combines contemporary architecture, generous spaces and sweeping coastal views, offering exceptional privacy while remaining deeply connected to its Northland setting.
Recognised with One MICHELIN Key for the second consecutive year, Eagles Nest continues to represent Aotearoa New Zealand among the MICHELIN Guide’s distinguished hotel selection.
“We’re proud to retain this distinction for a second year and to continue representing Aotearoa New Zealand on the global stage. Thank you to our guests, our team and everyone who is part of the Eagles Nest story.”
— Eagles Nest
Two MICHELIN Keys
Set within the spectacular surrounds of Wharekauhau Country Estate, Foley Villa offers an especially private way to experience the wild beauty of the Wairarapa. The exclusive-use residence combines generous, beautifully considered spaces with highly personalised hospitality, all framed by the estate’s working farmland, mountains and the rugged coastline of Palliser Bay.
Wharekauhau Country Estate’s Two MICHELIN Keys recognise an experience shaped not only by its remarkable setting and design, but by the care and attention of the team behind every stay.
“The MICHELIN Key recognises more than a beautiful place to stay. It celebrates the full guest experience, design, service, personality, sense of place, and the meaningful connection between a property and its setting.
At Wharekauhau, that experience is shaped by every detail: each cottage prepared, meal cooked, wine poured, guest welcomed, activity guided, garden tended, fence fixed, and quiet moment cared for.
This recognition belongs to the entire team.”
— Wharekauhau Country Estate
The details that make the difference
Four different landscapes. Four different stories. One shared thread, a quiet commitment to doing things exceptionally well, from the first welcome to the last farewell.
While these four properties are recognised in this year’s MICHELIN Key selection, the same philosophy runs through every villa in the Luxury Villas of New Zealand collection: a deep respect for place, a devotion to design, and an understanding that true luxury lies in the details guests may never see.
To the teams behind Annandale, Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses, Eagles Nest and Wharekauhau Country Estate — congratulations. This recognition belongs to the people who bring these remarkable places to life, every single day.
Ready to discover your own extraordinary New Zealand stay? Explore the full Luxury Villas of New Zealand collection and find the property that speaks to your next escape.