Michelin Reveals Its List of Top Hotels in the USA

Only 11 hotels in the United States were awarded Michelin’s highest distinction as part of the company’s newly announced hotel rating system.

The system is similar to Michelin’s restaurant guide but instead of stars, hotels are given “keys”: three denoting the top honor, or an “extraordinary stay”; two marking hotels that are deemed “exceptional”; and one key for those properties providing “a very special stay.”

In total, 124 U.S. properties received keys (33 were given two keys, and 80 were awarded one key) with another 826 included under the category: “Selected: A high-quality stay.”

The “extraordinary” three-key hotels in the U.S. were announced Wednesday at a press conference at the Museum of Arts and Design in Columbus Circle in New York City. U.S. destinations considered for the new hotel guide are states that already have Michelin restaurant guides: California, New York, Georgia, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Florida, and Illinois.

The U.S. announcement comes after Michelin debuted its new rating systems for properties in France earlier this month, of which 187 total hotels were added (23 of them were awarded three keys), including properties such as Airelles Château de Versailles-Le Grand Contrôle and Four Seasons George V in Paris.

Courtesy of Meadowood

In total, Michelin will be rating some 5,000 hotels across 120 countries with Spain’s announcement slated for April 29, Italy’s on May 7, and Japan’s on July 4. Other destinations will follow during the year.

Price ranges and hotel styles run the gamut, but true to the Michelin way of ranking, set criteria for determining what establishments merit a coveted key are as follows: The hotel must be a destination unto itself; the hotel must contribute to the local experience; it must display excellence in architecture and interior design; quality and regularity of service, comfort, and maintenance are needed; the hotel must reflect the personality of the establishment and its unique character; and there needs to be consistency between the quality of the experience and the price paid.

The inspection team consists of international experts, some of whom scrutinize and rate both restaurants and hotels and others who focus on one of the two categories, confirmed a Michelin spokesperson.

The Michelin Guide hotels list is the culmination of four years of work and is meant to be “a clear, reliable indication for travelers,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide in an October announcement. “Just as the Michelin star distinguishes those restaurants that are at the peak of their art, the Michelin key recognizes the most exceptional hotels throughout the world. It is also an acknowledgment of the teamwork of committed enthusiastic hospitality professionals.”

The lack of regulation around hotel star ratings and what they translate to in a stay can make it difficult for travelers to know what to trust when it comes to a five-star hotel versus a four-star property and so on. Systems like Forbes Travel Guide and affiliations with hotel groups, such as the Leading Hotels of the World and the Set Collection, can offer some insight in an accommodation landscape where hotels can self-select their star ratings with no government regulation, as is true in the United States and in other destinations around the world. With no global system in place, it can be unclear what the star ratings that come up on Google and appear on hotel websites really mean.

Kaushik Vardharajan, Boston University’s real estate program director who previously spent 20 years consulting for hotels, says credible ratings systems—including now Michelin keys—are a good thing because “they recognize great establishments for excellence and inspire others to excel.” They enhance guests’ trust in the hospitality industry too, says Vardharajan.

Vardharajan, who sees Michelin’s hotel ratings as a natural extension of the brand, says its reputation around restaurant ratings gives its new key system credibility—“and a loyal following.”

Courtesy of Robert Rieger / Aman New York

Michelin’s three-key U.S. hotels

1. The Beverly Hills Hotel, Dorchester Collection, California
2. Post Ranch Inn, California
3. SingleThread Inn, California
4. Hotel Bel-Air, Dorchester Collection, California
5. Auberge du Soleil, Auberge Resorts Collection, California
6. Meadowood Napa Valley, California
7. Canyon Ranch Woodside, California
8. Crosby Street Hotel, Firmdale Hotels, New York
9. The Whitby Hotel, Firmdale Hotels, New York
10. Aman New York, New York
11. Casa Cipriani New York, New York

Photo by Christian Horan Photography

Michelin’s two-key U.S. hotels

1. L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, California
2. The Maybourne Beverly Hills, California
3. The Peninsula Beverly Hills, California
4. Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort, California
5. Bernardus Lodge & Spa, California
6. The Stavrand, California
7. Montage Healdsburg, California
8. The Madrona, California
9. Montage Laguna Beach, California
10. Rosewood Miramar Beach, California
11. Milliken Creek Inn & Spa, California
12. Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero, California
13. The Battery, California
14. Cavallo Point Lodge, California
15. Pendry West Hollywood, California
16. Chateau Marmont, California
17. North Block, California
18. Bardessono, California
19. Rosewood Washington, D.C.
20. The Jefferson, Washington, D.C.
21. Mayfair House Hotel & Garden, Florida
22. The Setai Miami Beach, Florida
23. Faena Hotel Miami Beach, Florida
24. Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, Florida
25. Pendry Chicago, Illinois
26. The Langham, Chicago, Illinois
27. The Peninsula Chicago, Illinois
28. The Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York
29. The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel, New York
30. The Mark Hotel, New York
31. Hotel Barrière Fouquet’s New York, New York
32. Nine Orchard, New York
33. Pendry Manhattan West, New York

Courtesy of the Chicago Athletic Association

Michelin’s one-key U.S. hotels

1. Four Seasons Resort Napa Valley, California
2. Harbor House Inn, California
3. Downtown LA Proper Hotel, California
4. Soho Warehouse DTLA, California
5. The Aster, California
6. The Paramour Estate, California
7. The Prospect Hollywood, California
8. Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection, California
9. Pendry Newport Beach, California
10. Dive Palm Springs, California
11. Holiday House Palm Springs, California
12. La Serena Villas, California
13. Sparrows Lodge, California
14. Rancho Caymus Inn, California
15. 1 Hotel San Francisco, California
16. Hotel Drisco, California
17. Hotel San Luis Obispo, California
18. San Luis Creek Lodge, California
19. El Encanto, a Belmond Hotel, Santa Barbara, California
20. Casa Del Mar, California
21. Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, California
22. Santa Monica Proper Hotel, California
23. Shutters on the Beach, California
24. The Georgian, California
25. The Sea Ranch Lodge, California
26. Chamberlain West Hollywood, California
27. Hotel 850 SVB, California
28. Palihouse West Hollywood, California
29. Soho House Holloway, California
30. Sunset Tower Hotel, California
31. The Charlie, California
32. Hotel Jerome, Auberge Resorts Collection, Colorado
    

    

    Shawn O’Connor

33. The Little Nell, Colorado
34. Mollie Aspen, Colorado
35. Clayton Hotel & Members Club, Colorado
36. Four Seasons Denver, Colorado
37. The Crawford Hotel, Colorado
38. Sonnenalp Hotel, Colorado
39. Four Seasons Vail, Colorado
40. Eaton DC, Washington, D.C.
41. Pendry Washington DC – The Wharf, Washington, D.C.
42. Riggs Washington DC, Washington, D.C.
43. The Dupont Circle Hotel, Washington, D.C.
44. The Hay-Adams Hotel, Washington, D.C.
45. Mandarin Oriental Miami, Florida
46. Mr. C Miami – Coconut Grove, Florida
47. 1 Hotel South Beach, Florida
48. Esmé Miami Beach, Florida
49. Hotel Greystone – Adults Only, Florida
50. The Betsy – South Beach, Florida
51. Ette Hotel, Florida
52. Lake Nona Wave Hotel, Florida
53. The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, Florida
54. Palihouse Hyde Park Village, Florida
55. The Tampa Edition, Florida
56. Stonehurst Place Atlanta, Georgia
57. The Candler Hotel Atlanta, Georgia
58. Hotel Clermont, Georgia
59. Chicago Athletic Association, Illinois
60. Nobu Hotel Chicago, Illinois
61. The Gwen, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois
62. Viceroy Chicago, Illinois
63. Waldorf Astoria Chicago, Illinois
64. 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, New York
65. Ace Hotel Brooklyn, New York
66. Wythe Hotel, New York
67. 1 Hotel Central Park, New York
68. Baccarat Hotel & Residences, New York
69. Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, New York
70. Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad, New York
71. The Beekman – a Thompson Hotel, New York
72. The Bowery Hotel, New York
73. The Greenwich Hotel, New York
74. The Hotel Chelsea, New York
75. The Lowell, New York
76. The Ludlow Hotel, New York
77. The Mercer, New York
78. The Peninsula New York, New York
79. The Wall Street Hotel, New York
80. Warren Street Hotel, New York