Ardour Milton Park Bowral awarded its first MICHELIN Key as Spicers Peak Lodge and Spicers Sangoma Retreat retain Two MICHELIN Keys
Salter Brothers Hospitality is celebrating significant recognition in The MICHELIN Guide’s 2026 global hotel selection, with three hotels across its luxury portfolio awarded MICHELIN Keys.
Ardour Milton Park Bowral has been awarded One MICHELIN Key, while Spicers Peak Lodge (QLD) and Spicers Sangoma Retreat (NSW) have both retained their Two MICHELIN Keys following their recognition in 2025, Australia’s first year in the MICHELIN Key selection.
All three properties belong to Worlds Apart, Salter Brothers Hospitality’s collection of distinctive Australian hotels and retreats, each defined by its individual character and connection to place.
The MICHELIN Key is the hotel distinction awarded by The MICHELIN Guide and, much like MICHELIN Stars for restaurants, recognises hotels delivering outstanding stays. Hotels are independently assessed by anonymous MICHELIN Guide inspectors against criteria spanning architecture and design, quality and consistency of service, personality and character, value and a meaningful connection to their destination.
One MICHELIN Key denotes “a very special stay”, while Two MICHELIN Keys recognise “an exceptional stay”.
Tash Tobias, CEO of Salter Brothers Hospitality, said the recognition reflected the group’s focus on creating hotels that feel genuinely distinct from one another while delivering exceptional hospitality.
“To see Ardour Milton Park awarded a MICHELIN Key in its first year, alongside Spicers Peak Lodge and Spicers Sangoma Retreat retaining their Two MICHELIN Keys, is an incredibly proud moment for our teams. These are three very different hotels, and that individuality is exactly what we value. Each has its own story, its own sense of place and its own way of creating an experience guests remember. That philosophy also sits at the heart of Worlds Apart – bringing together remarkable Australian stays that are united not by sameness, but by what makes each of them distinctive.
For Ardour Milton Park, this recognition is an extraordinary endorsement of what the team has created in such a short period of time and an exciting milestone for the Ardour brand. Equally, for Spicers Peak Lodge and Spicers Sangoma Retreat to retain Two Keys reinforces the consistency, care and attention our Spicers teams continue to deliver year after year. Ultimately, this recognition belongs to the people in our hotels. Their passion for hospitality and the way they bring each property to life is what makes these experiences truly special.”
Set within a historic country estate in the NSW Southern Highlands, Ardour Milton Park Bowral is the flagship property of Ardour Hotels & Estates. Following an extensive transformation and relaunch in 2026, the estate brings together heritage architecture, contemporary design, destination dining, wellness and expansive gardens, creating a new expression of regional Australian luxury.
David McDonald, general manager of Ardour Milton Park Bowral, said the recognition was a meaningful moment for the team behind the property’s relaunch.
“To receive a MICHELIN Key just seven months in means a great deal to everyone who has worked to bring this property back to life. It’s a reflection of the care that’s gone into every part of the guest experience, from the rooms to the restaurants to the gardens, and it puts Ardour on the global MICHELIN stage right from the start. We’re incredibly proud of what the team has achieved in such a short time,” he said.
Spicers Peak Lodge, set high within Queensland’s Scenic Rim, retains its Two MICHELIN Keys, continuing its recognition as one of Australia’s exceptional hotel stays. The intimate all-inclusive retreat combines personalised service, destination-led dining and experiences with the dramatic wilderness of the surrounding Great Dividing Range.
Spicers Sangoma Retreat, located in the foothills of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, has also retained Two MICHELIN Keys. The adults-only, all-inclusive retreat is known for its secluded bushland setting, highly personalised experience and distinctive design.
Their continued Two-Key recognition builds on Spicers Retreats’ longstanding approach to relaxed Australian luxury, centred on genuine hospitality, exceptional food and wine and a strong connection to place.
Across Worlds Apart, the three MICHELIN Key hotels demonstrate the breadth of experiences within the collection – from the heritage and gardens of the Southern Highlands to the wilderness of Queensland’s Scenic Rim and the seclusion of the Blue Mountains.
The MICHELIN Guide unveiled its 2026 hotel selection on 18 September, following months of anonymous inspections. Globally, 2,832 hotels now hold MICHELIN Keys, including 155 Three-Key hotels, 657 Two-Key hotels and 2,020 One-Key hotels.
The recognition of Ardour Milton Park, Spicers Peak Lodge and Spicers Sangoma Retreat places three Salter Brothers Hospitality hotels within a global selection celebrating some of the world’s most distinctive and memorable stays – and reinforces the ambition behind Worlds Apart to showcase extraordinary Australian places and experiences.