The French tire company and restaurant guide publisher has taken on the New York-based platform, which curates ‘high quality and unique hotel experiences’.
Michelin’s move in to hotel bookings comes after it acquired online restaurant reservation service Bookatable in 2016 and a stake in wine authority Robert Parker Wine Advocate in 2017.
New York-based Tablet was founded in 2000 by Laurent Vernhes and Michael Davis. It currently offers bookings at 3,500 properties, which it says undergo a ‘rigorous and anonymous’ evaluation before being featured on the site.
Tablet co-founders Laurent Vernhes and Michael Davis say both companies offer an ‘unbiased approach to curation’.
"Our dedication to integrity has made us [and Michelin] leaders in our respective fields, and now we’re combining forces for a ground-breaking union that will change the scale of Tablet and transform the Tablet Plus [members] program,” the founders say.
“Likewise, hotel reservations driven by expert curation and exclusive privileges will be a significant addition to Michelin’s travel portfolio."
Around 52% of Tablet’s customers are North American, and Michelin says that the merger will help the platform to reach ‘wider and more diverse audiences geographically’.
Michelin publishes restaurant guides to 30 countries around the world.