This year’s MICHELIN Key update reinforces what we’ve been seeing for quite a while now – Asia’s hospitality scene is a serious force to be reckoned with.
We’ve watched Vietnam’s hotel scene — from Zannier Bãi San Hô to Capella Hanoi — evolve steadily, so this year’s growth lands exactly as we expected.
But Vietnam is far from the only headline in the new release. Today we’re walking you through a few of the region’s many highlights, including Southeast Asian standouts in Cambodia and Thailand, as well as much further afield.
Hotels we’ve featured, brands we’ve seen rise, and stories we’ve shared are scattered throughout, alongside some exciting entries that even blindsided us.
No Sophomore Slump For Vietnam
The country follows up on its successful first appearance with another big statement. Hotel numbers are up to 21 from 13 in 2025, and the continued rise will come as little surprise to anyone who’s kept an eye on the scene.
This time around, Vietnam’s 21 selections comprise 2 Three-Key, 4 Two-Key, and 15 One-Key stays, as the Art Nouveau showpiece Capella Hanoi and cliffside sanctuary Amanoi — the latter located in the south-central coastal province of Khánh Hòa — keep their places at the top.
In the Two-Key tier, we’ve got some of our old favorites. Zannier Bãi San Hô in Đắk Lắk is a destination we’ve been showing love since 2023. Set on one of the country’s most beautiful bays, it’s home to sand so fine it squeaks underfoot. Another familiar face deservedly promoted this year is the historic grand dame of the capital, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, whose basement still hides a wartime bomb shelter.
Lastly, Hội An’s Four Seasons The Nam Hai, with its traditional Vietnamese architecture and feng shui principles, and Banyan Tree Lang Co in Huế, built on the site of a sleepy fishing village, both maintain their ratings, further cementing the central region’s flourishing tourism reputation.
Of the fifteen One-Key hotels, three new arrivals are worth a closer look. Legacy Yen Tu, positioned on UNESCO-listed and sacred Yên Tử mountain, draws on 13th-century Trần Dynasty architecture and ancient Buddhist monasteries. There’s also Garrya Mù Cang Chải, celebrated as the world’s largest bamboo-structured wellness resort, found high in northern Vietnam’s terraced rice fields, while the therapeutic Namia River Retreat is tucked on a peaceful stretch of Hội An’s riverside.
The Maldives’ Secret Weapon
Soneva Secret stood out as the announcement’s most striking entry. The secluded escape pulled off the rare feat of debuting with Three Keys this year, skipping the usual ascent through One and Two entirely.
All the more remarkable, the hotel didn’t open its doors until 2024. Yet it has quickly earned a place among 34 prestigious Three-Key accommodations in Asia.
14 villas — beach, overwater, or a two-story option with boat-only access — dot the remote atoll setting of Dhipparufushi Island, where the lagoon shifts from shades of pale turquoise to brilliant cyan, best appreciated from the seaplane on the way in.
And the most unique aspect? Every villa has its own three-person team: a Barefoot Guardian, a Barefoot Assistant, and a private chef who work together to ensure every stay feels truly tailor-made.
Guests can even opt for a ‘Secret Day’ – a bespoke itinerary of surprise adventures and extravagant dining experiences, where you might start a meal in your living room, then suddenly find yourself ziplining to the terrace of a castaway wine cellar before eventually digging into dessert at an overwater observatory.
Cambodia’s Wild Debut
Our neighbors in the Kingdom of Wonder are celebrating a novel tale of their own. They’ve secured their first-ever Key, and straight in at Two, no less.
Shinta Mani Wild sits in a protected rainforest valley within the Cardamom Mountains, one of Asia’s most biodiverse areas and home to endangered species like pangolins and clouded leopards. And it’s just a 3–4 hour drive from the capital, Phnom Penh.
A mere 15 ultra-lavish, custom-designed tents perch over rushing rivers and waterfalls – the vision of Bill Bensley, also behind Capella Hanoi.
But it’s not all about luxury. The property partners with local NGO Wildlife Alliance to combat poaching and illegal logging in the surrounding forest, and every guest stay helps fund conservation work such as field operations, snare removal, and more.
In case that wasn’t enough, this is the only retreat we’ve ever heard of where you can opt to arrive via zip line – 400 meters of high-speed adrenaline over the lush rainforest canopy before arriving at the eco-resort’s Landing Zone Bar for an ice-cold welcome drink.
Thailand Keeps It Regal
Thailand’s hotel scene continues to expand, as the figures climb from 62 to 71, including 22 Two-Key and 43 One-Key accommodations.
The Dot darling Capella Bangkok has had quite the ride. We first covered it back in 2023, the same year it picked up the Nikka Best New Hotel Award. By 2024, it had rocketed to No. 1 worldwide before dipping to third twelve months later. This week, Capella clinched both the No. 2 spot in The 50 Best Hotels and elevation to Three-Key status in a stylish comeback.
And it’s not the only one up high. Mandarin Oriental and The Siam round out the aristocracy of Bangkok lodgings – the former turning 150 this year and home to a dozen restaurants and bars (not least the MICHELIN-starred Le Normandie), the latter yet another Bensley design whose riverside grounds pack in a luxury Muay Thai ring and a century-old teak pool villa.
Elsewhere in the country, Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai was built on the site of a former quarry and is now home to working rice paddies, complete with resident water buffalo. Amanpuri in Phuket — the world’s first Aman property, opened in 1988 — and Phulay Bay in Krabi, the original Ritz-Carlton Reserve, also retain their places among Thailand’s top ranks.
Beyond the Three-Key crowd, growth also wasn’t confined to the capital this year. While Bangkok led with four new entries, more followed in Koh Samui, Hua Hin, Khao Yai, and Koh Chang. Business as usual, really, just with a few more dots on the map.
