The Fitzwilliam In Dublin Takes A Michelin Key
The Fitzwilliam Hotel in Dublin has been awarded One Michelin Key in the Michelin Guide 2026 hotel selection. The five-star hotel sits on St Stephen's Green.
Hospitality Ireland reported the award on 30 September 2026. Michelin released the 2026 hotel selection on 18 September 2026.
What A Michelin Key Recognises
The Michelin Key is the hotel distinction of the Michelin Guide. Michelin calls it the counterpart to the Michelin Star for restaurants.
Michelin awards One, Two or Three Keys. One Key marks a very special stay, Two Keys an exceptional stay and Three Keys an extraordinary stay.
Michelin introduced the Key in 2024 across 15 destinations in North America, Europe and Asia. The distinction has since become a global programme.
Michelin inspectors select the hotels after anonymous visits.
The Five Criteria Behind The Key
The guide rates properties on five areas: architecture and interior design, personality and character, quality and consistency of service, value for price, and connection to the setting.
The Fitzwilliam holds a Michelin-starred restaurant, Glovers Alley.
Where The Award Sits In The 2026 Selection
Michelin added 470 hotels to the 2026 Key selection across 79 destinations. Ten destinations received Keys for the first time.
The global selection now carries 2,832 Key hotels: 155 with Three Keys, 657 with Two Keys and 2,020 with One Key. The guide hotel selection spans more than 9,400 hotels, and more than 2,200 hotels have joined it since the October 2025 Key announcement.
Four Irish hotels received One Key in the 2026 selection: The Fitzwilliam Hotel in Dublin, The Leinster Hotel in Dublin, Glenlo Abbey in Galway City and Marlfield House in Gorey, County Wexford.
Irish outlets differ on the national total. The Irish Times counts 19 Irish hotels with Keys in the 2026 selection. RTE reports that the four new awards bring the number of Irish hotels with Keys to 20.
The Property Response
Fergal O'Connell, chief executive of The Fitzwilliam Hospitality Group, tied the award to the capital programme at the hotel.
"We are immensely proud to have been awarded a Michelin key, a prestigious recognition of our recent 13.5 million euro investment and our commitment to delivering exceptional five-star hospitality in the heart of Dublin," O'Connell said.
"Above all, this award belongs to our extraordinary team, whose passion, warmth, and unwavering dedication to our guests make The Fitzwilliam Hotel so special."
O'Connell took the chief executive role in March 2026. He led The Fitzwilliam Dublin as general manager for 18 years.
What The Key Adds To The Property
The Fitzwilliam now holds a Michelin Key and a Michelin-starred restaurant in the same building. The hotel describes Glovers Alley as recently reimagined under chef Adam Nevin. The restaurant won its star under head chef Andy McFadden.
The property runs the Lounge for casual dining and drinks and a Gallery that serves breakfast on the mezzanine level. Guestrooms offer Juliet balconies or larger terraces, with views of St Stephen's Green from some rooms.
Michelin publishes no fixed score for a Key. The guide groups the One Key properties under the description of a very special stay.