USA, Mexico, Canada: the MICHELIN Guide presents its first full MICHELIN Key selection, highlighting 412 outstanding hotels

September 12, 2024

13 Min Read

168 new additions are located in the U.S. (complementing the 124 awarded hotels announced last April), 87 in Mexico and 33 in Canada
Selected by the MICHELIN Guide Inspectors, these hotels offer the world’s most outstanding experiences and can be booked on the MICHELIN Guide digital platforms
The MICHELIN Guide’s ambition is to become the 1st global independent booking platform for outstanding restaurants and hotels.

AUSTIN, TEXAS Sept. 12, 2024 – Michelin is pleased to present its very first MICHELIN Key selection dedicated to North-American hotels (located in the U.S., Mexico and Canada). The latest addition to the MICHELIN Guide distinctions, the MICHELIN Keys highlight the properties in the Guide’s hotel selection that offer the most exceptional stays.

Offering an ever more comprehensive service, the MICHELIN Guide’s hotel selection provides users with recommendations for a complete travel experience. Awarded by the MICHELIN Guide inspection team based on anonymous stays or visits — independently of existing labels, tourism stars and pre-established quotas — the MICHELIN Keys are a new international benchmark . They aim to guide travelers to accommodations that stand out for their unique hospitality concept, distinctive character, warm welcome and extremely high level of service.

288 hotels awarded MICHELIN Keys in the U.S., Mexico and Canada

After presenting the inaugural MICHELIN Key selection for the seven first U.S. destinations (Atlanta, California, Chicago, Colorado, Florida, NYC and Washington D.C.) in April 2024, the Inspectors have extended their research to all of the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Altogether, 288 hotels among more than 1,000 MICHELIN Guide-recommended properties in North America, have been awarded MICHELIN Keys : 168 are located in the U.S. (not including 124 announced last April), 87 in Mexico and 33 in Canada. This selection brings together a wide range of concepts and accommodations, from hotels in historic buildings, to trendy urban boutiques, relaxing and intimate hideaways, and spectacular design and architecture jewels.

Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide, commented, “Just a few months after unveiling the inaugural release in seven U.S. destinations, we are absolutely thrilled to present to world travelers our MICHELIN Key selection for the entire U.S., Mexico and Canada. Compiling no less than 288 outstanding hotels, this selection shines through its incredible diversity and is a clear invitation to explore North America. From retreats in the wildest U.S. canyons, Canadian forests, or Mexican coasts, to splendid architectural wonders; from flagship urban hotels to tiny properties nestled within former factories, campsites or isolated islands: every hotel awarded One, Two or Three MICHELIN Keys is a gem sculpted by talented professionals. Using the MICHELIN Guide digital platforms, travelers can now filter their search and book hotels for stays that we hope will be unforgettable.”

One, Two and Three MICHELIN Keys

Just like the famous Stars that indicate the best culinary experiences, the MICHELIN Keys reveal accommodations in the Guide’s hotel selection that offer the most outstanding stays. They are a new benchmark for travelers, qualifying each hotel experience in broader terms than simple amenities.

One MICHELIN Key: a very special stay

This is a true gem with its own character and personality. It may break the mold, offer something different or simply be one of the best of its type. Service always goes the extra mile and provides significantly more than similarly priced establishments.

Two MICHELIN Keys: an exceptional stay

Somewhere truly unique and exceptional in every way, where a memorable experience is always guaranteed. A hotel of character, personality and charm that’s operated with obvious pride and considerable care. Eye-catching design or architecture, and a real sense of the locale make this an exceptional place to stay.

Three MICHELIN Keys: an extraordinary stay

It’s all about astonishment and indulgence here – this is the ultimate in comfort and service, style and elegance. It is one of the world’s most remarkable and extraordinary hotels and a destination in itself for that trip of a lifetime. All the elements of truly great hospitality are here to ensure any stay will live long in the memory and hearts of travelers.

10 unique hotels receive Three MICHELIN Keys

Three MICHELIN Keys, indicating an extraordinary stay, worthy of a specific trip, have been presented to 10 North-American hotels.

In the U.S., five properties receive the highest hotel accolade of the MICHELIN Guide. Located in Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Montana and Utah, these unique establishments provide guests with unforgettable stays. For example, Little Palm Island Resort & Spa is the only private island resort in North America. The 30 suites are divided among a number of thatched-roof bungalows and delightfully low-tech comfort. Secluded on 150 acres of spectacular Sonoran Desert landscape, Canyon Ranch Tucson is more than an ordinary hotel: it is an experience fully dedicated to wellness and health. Prior to each stay, Canyon Ranch advisors reach out to guests to help plan their activities, from fitness classes, medical assessments, coaching sessions, art lessons and spiritual wellness experiences.

In Mexico, three hotels, all located in grandiose, picturesque areas, are awarded Three MICHELIN Keys. An hour up the coast from crowded Puerto Vallarta, the spectacular One&Only Mandarina combines eco-lodge sensitivity, a boutique-hotel look, and luxury-hotel comforts and facilities, all in a tranquil setting amid 80 acres of coastal rainforest. The treehouses and villas are stunning, the view from the pool is dramatic, and the activities on offer include nature walks as well as various seafaring and whalewatching adventures. Twelve miles down the coast from Puerto Vallarta, in the large, crystal-clear Banderas Bay, Xinalani is a gloriously secluded eco-resort wedged between the jungle and the water, only accessible by boat. The natural landscape surrounding the place is Xinalani’s main attraction: all 33 guest rooms, situated within a series of palm-thatched cabins, are open-air, each having just three walls and a curtain, and offer impressive views of the jungle and the bay. An intimate beachside escape on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, Hotel Esencia was once the home of a European duchess. Converted into a 51-room hotel, the property offers free-standing beachfront bungalows as well as an organic spa that features practices culled from ancient medicine.

Finally, in Canada, two properties for nature lovers are awarded Three MICHELIN Keys: Fogo Island Inn and Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge. One of the most famous high-design hotel in the world, Fogo Island Inn is located on a tiny island off the coast of Newfoundland. An ultra-modern reinterpretation of traditional, utilitarian Maritimes architecture, this hotel is home to 29 luxe rooms with spectacular views — and offers excursions that range from whale-watching to iceberg tours. A secluded outpost set deep in the wilderness of British Columbia, reachable only by boat or seaplane, Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge offers 25 canvas tents — the first property of this kind to be awarded Three MICHELIN Keys in the world. All are furnished with handcrafted and vintage antique furniture and sit on wood platforms connected by a series of cedar plank walkways. If the property offers a gaming tent, a library tent, and four spa tents, the main attraction here is the outdoors, which guests are invited to explore by picking activities such as riding, kayaking, hiking, fishing, archery, and even cooking classes.

Two MICHELIN Keys presented to 66 exceptional properties

Indicating an exceptional stay, 66 hotels have been awarded Two MICHELIN Keys: 37 are located in the U.S., 21 in Mexico and eight in Canada.

Within the U.S. Two MICHELIN Key hotels, travelers can find multiple options, from citybased contemporary or heritage hotels to retired, luxury lodges. In remote southwestern Colorado, in an authentic ghost town, Dunton Hot Springs is an abandoned century-old gold prospectors’ camp, renovated shack by shack and rehabilitated into a truly unique luxury hotel. The property’s 13 elegant rooms are nestled within rustic buildings, whereas the town’s old Pony Express stop hides the massage and yoga facilities, and the bar and dining room are behind the walls of the old saloon. In far northwestern Massachusetts, in the Berkshires, TOURISTS is a Sixties motor lodge reborn as a very modern, very hip little country boutique hotel. In the capital city of Texas, Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection is a Twenties mansion in Italian and Spanish Revival styles, brought entirely up to date by the expert hospitality designer Ken Fulk.

In Canada, direct on Lake Massawippi, the Manoir Hovey is a century-old building in the style George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. The rooms, suites and cottages offer an antique ambience, with modern appointments like goose-down duvets and the occassional Jacuzzi tub. In winter, the Manoir will be the perfect starting point for crosscountry skiing or even dogsledding, while in summer it will attract tennis or canoeing
enthusiasts.

In the lower Old Port of Québec City, overlooking the stately St. Lawrence river, Auberge Saint Antoine is half hotel, half museum. The auberge itself occupies an important archaeological site, once home to a cannon battery and a maritime warehouse. Artifacts from various digs are on display in the guest rooms and common areas, including a reception desk built from oak planks two centuries old. Despite this historical bent, the Auberge is in many ways a modern boutique hotel where comfort and privacy are key words.

In Mexico City, just across the road from Lincoln Park, Casa Polanco is a small, intimate boutique hotel, acting as a soundproofed oasis from the buzz of the metropolis. Made of a Forties Neocolonial mansion combined with modernist building, the property contains 19 rooms and suites, all unique and decorated in tasteful, luxe style.

Set in the rugged, mountainous mezcal-producing lands to the east of Mexican capital, and nested in an old, still active distillery, Casa Silencio offers some of the most extraordinary architecture and design in all Mexico. This masterpiece from architect Alejandro D’Acosta is a spectacular compound of modern buildings constructed from rustic rammed earth, timber and tile. The six suites may look austere, but are luxurious in all the right places, and full of finely wrought details and eye-catching contemporary art

212 hotels receive One MICHELIN Key

The very special experiences offered by 212 hotels and accommodations have been rewarded with One MICHELIN Key. Representing a broad spectrum of hotel concepts, accommodation types and geography, the first North American MICHELIN Key selection shines with diversity and experiences suited to all budgets and desires. Of the 214 newly-awarded hotels, 126 are located in the U.S., 63 in Mexico and 23 in Canada.

In New Orleans, a city with strong character and identity, Hotel Peter & Paul is a stylish and modern boutique hotel housed in a former Catholic school and 19th-century church. Its style is eclectic, bohemian, and romantic, and each room, no matter situated in the school, rectory or convent, has its own distinct feeling. Another example of successful rehabilitation is Bottleworks Hotel Indianapolis. Formerly the local Coca-Cola bottling plant, the building dates back to the 1920s and benefits from Art Deco styling. The rooms and suites in the old wing combine authentic industrial flourishes with contemporary comfort, while those in the new addition are no less stylish.

In Hawaii, five hotels receive One MICHELIN Key. Among them, the Inspectors particularly liked the unspoiled landscapes and seascapes of Kaua’i Island, where Timbers Kauai Ocean Club & Residences is located. Residences span two, three, or even four bedrooms, while the property features a first-rate spa, a surf school and a golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus.

In Tulum, Wakax Hacienda – Cenote & Boutique Hotel is strategically positioned right beside a trio of turquoise-hued cenotes. Modeled after a traditional 18th-century hacienda, complete with a church and central plaza, the hotel sits on the shore of an emerald-colored lake. Inside, the look is a subtle blend Scandinavian-style furniture and artisan-made ceramics, along with colorful Mexican artwork, together with a Spanish colonial twist. One of the best way to appreciate Wakax Hacienda is to join one of the hotel’s guided bicycle excursions: each trip follows a five-mile circuit through the jungle, stopping at a Mayan cultural center before continuing to a refreshing dip in one of the property’s cenotes.

An hour up the west coast of Baja California, Paradero Todos Santos – Exclusive Experiences is a luxurious all-suite boutique hotel in a highly disciplined Brutalist style. Raw concrete exteriors blend into the desert while interiors provide a counterpoint to the soft luxury of its rooms. The activities are centered on the environment, from farming and gardening instruction to hiking, and yoga or meditation sessions are on offer as well. A bit in the same vein is Hotel Terrestre, a stunning 14-villa hotel, located in Puerto Escondido on Mexico’s Oaxacan coast. Designed by architect Alberto Kalach, this dramatic, modernist property made of humble, locally sourced brick and concrete, proudly boasts a sustainable and low-tech approachthat goes well with the hotel’s slow-living philosophy.

Urban adventurers looking in Canadian cities will find many possibilities within the selection, such as 1 Hotel Toronto, featuring stylish interiors and crisp contemporary design, or Montréal-based Le Mount Stephen Hotel, with its stunning neo-renaissance structure, historical public spaces and modern rooms.

All MICHELIN Guide hotel recommendations are available for free on the MICHELIN Guide website and mobile application. On these digital platforms, all recommended hotels can be booked directly at the best market price. To assist travelers throughout their stay, the MICHELIN Guide also provides a concierge service run by travel experts employed by the MICHELIN Guide.

The next MICHELIN Keys will be announced in Thailand on September 25th, Great Britain & Ireland on October 1st and in Germany, Austria & Switzerland on October 9th, 2024.

Find the pictures of the Press Conference Announcement on this link:
https://bfa.com/events/46529/share/69043b7e15daa2

About Michelin North America, Inc.

Michelin is the leading mobility company and manufacturer of life-changing composites and experiences. For more than 130 years, Michelin has made contributions to human progress and to a more sustainable world. Michelin is constantly innovating to manufacture high-quality tires and components for critical applications for demanding fields, including mobility, construction, aeronautics, low-carbon energies and healthcare and offer the finest experiences, from providing data- and AI-based connected solutions for professional fleets to recommending outstanding restaurants and hotels curated by the MICHELIN Guide. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America has approximately 23,500 employees and operates 35 production facilities in the United States (michelinman.com) and Canada (michelin.ca).

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