Photo credit: Michelin
Restaurant ranking system is expanded to hotels worldwide
If your best friend was a mystery Michelin restaurant inspector, they could tell you that the proper placement of a dish precisely one inch from the table’s edge can make or break an establishment. Even world-famous chefs at the most prestigious establishments know the rules are tough. Indeed, a three-star Michelin starred restaurant is a rare thing — only 13 exist across the entire United States. Yet, Michelin’s famous one, two, and three star rankings are not like levels in a video game; there’s no rule about conquering one stage to get to the next.
Now, Michelin has taken another giant step with its brand new “key” rankings for hotels modeled on the famous stars for restaurants. Very few, in fact only 11, exceptional hotels in the United States have leapt right up the ladder, going straight to the top gaining a three key award.
The first Michelin Guide was published in 1900 to encourage automobile trips that incentivized purchase of the company’s tires. Ever since the guide added dining out ratings in 1926, better restaurants have proudly displayed stars awarded for top notch dining experiences. The guide expanded coverage to New York City restaurants in 2005 and eventually to more US locations.
Michelin’s Top Hotels in the US
Following countless hours of rigid evaluations, Michelin’s brand new ranking results for U.S. hotels were announced in April 2024. Judges considered five categories to distinguish the best in architecture and interior design, quality and consistency of service, overall personality and character, value for the price, and a significant contribution to the guest experience in a particular setting.
So, which hotels made the cut across the United States? Per Michelin, 11 hotels received three keys denoting “extraordinary,” 33 hotels received two keys for “exceptional,” and 80 “special” hotels were awarded one key. Let’s take a closer look.
New York City Gems
Four of America’s best hotels are in Manhattan. New on New York City’s luxury hotel scene and soaring straight to the top, Aman New York in the iconic Crown Building in the heart of midtown at the crossroads of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street and Casa Cipriani in the buzzy downtown Financial District, are housed in repurposed century-old Beaux Arts buildings.
Aman New York, courtesy Aman Group
“Every room tells a story,” is the inspiration at Firmdale Hotels, a collection of 11 design forward properties in London and NYC. Contemporary and colorful, presenting with a whimsical British vibe, both The Whitby Hotel near Central Park and Rockefeller Center at Fifth Avenue and 56th Street and Crosby Street Hotel in fashionable downtown SoHo, have been awarded Michelin’s three key honors.
California Jewels
All remaining seven hotels to earn Michelin three keys are spread out along the California coastline. Secluded and spectacular, featuring ocean rooms and tree houses, Post Ranch Inn is a spot of outstanding natural beauty perched on the continent’s western edge at Big Sur. Closer to San Francisco on a quiet hillside, Canyon Ranch Woodside is a serene spot surrounded by giant redwoods, where guests seeking downtime can relax and recharge just moments from the city and Silicon Valley.
Canyon Ranch Woodside, courtesy Canyon Ranch
In Los Angeles, two Dorchester Collection properties are pure gold. In the exclusive Westwood neighborhood, Hotel Bel-Air gives off hideaway Mediterranean airs with its romantic 18-acre sprawl. On Sunset Boulevard, The Beverly Hills Hotel and The Polo Lounge retain their celebrity-burnished glow as The Pink Palace.
Hotel Bel-Air, courtesy Dorchester Collection
Beverly Hills Hotel, courtesy Dorchester Collection
And in Northern California’s wine country, Healdsburg in Sonoma Valley boasts SingleThread as the nation’s only Michelin three star restaurant with three keys accommodation; it has just five guest rooms. In St. Helena, the wine-centric Meadowood Napa Valley gives off a private resort vibe. In Rutherford, Auberge du Soleil, is an exclusive adults-only resort with spa and a Michelin-starred restaurant for luxurious getaways with breathtaking views of Napa Valley.
SingleThread, courtesy SingleThread
Auberge du Soleil, Auberge Resorts Collection
More Distinguished Hotels
Curious about Michelin’s selections for two key and one key hotel winners? All of the 124 key-winning outstanding hotels in the United States are found here. For overseas travelers, the new key awards for hotels have also been recognized in France (189), Italy (146), and Spain (97).