While most people know the Michelin guide for the star system assigned to the world’s finest restaurants, the ranking organization that began as a series of guidebooks from the French tire company in 1900 now also sends its inspectors out to luxury hotels.
The new system, which Michelin launched in April 2024, assigns one, two or three hotel keys to hotels in different regions around the world. With the three keys reserved for the highest levels of hotel luxury, Michelin inspectors assigned 1,742 one-key rankings, 572 two-key rankings and 143 three-key rankings throughout the year.
At an Oct. 8 ceremony at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the organization also unveiled winners of several new awards: Atlantic the Royal in Dubai earned the new Architecture and Design Award while the Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland was recognized as the top wellness destination.
New luxury hotels recognized for architecture and wellness
La Fiermontina Ocean in Larache in northwestern Morocco was recognized as the best local getaway for the way it draws in travelers to an otherwise underappreciated region while the five-star Burman Hotel in the Estonian capital of Tallinn earned the Opening of the Year title.
Hotels newly recognized with the prestigious three-key designation include Nayara Springs in La Fortuna de San Carlos in Costa Rica — the country’s only thee-key hotel — and the De L’Europe hotel in Amsterdam.
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A total of six hotels in Africa were recognized with the three keys: the Giraffe Manor in Kenya, the Kasbah Tamadot and La Mamounia in Morocco, the Zannier Sonop in Namibia and the Londolozi Game Reserve and Royal Melawane in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
Hotels in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania awarded the three keys include The Brando in French Polynesia and the Lizard Island Resort on the Great Barrier Reef that is reached by a charter flight from Cairns.
Michelin Guide
“Iconic resorts, historic city hotels or hidden gems off the beaten path”
Closer to home, U.S. and Canadian hotels recognized with the three stars include the previously-awarded Aman New York and Canyon Ranch Tucson as well as new additions like the Clayoquot Wilderness Lounge on Vancouver Island and Auberge Du Soleil between Napa and Sonoma Valley. Over in Mexico, the Wakax Hacienda Cenote & Boutique Hotel in Tulum was also upgraded from one to two stars.
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“With their unique field expertise, Michelin Guide inspectors have selected the finest properties from across the globe, reflecting the diversity and excellence of today’s hospitality landscape,” Gwendal Poullenec, international director of the Michelin Guide, said in a statement on the new awards. “Whether travelers seek iconic resorts, historic city hotels, or hidden gems off the beaten path, the Michelin Keys provide a trusted guide to discover, explore, and book truly memorable stays that inspire and delight.”
Other surprising additions around the world include the three-key Ceylon Tea Trails Relais and Châteaux in Sri Lanka and the Capella Hanoi in Vietnam as well as the Saltmoore in England’s West Yorkshire and Park Hotel Kenmare on the Irish coast each awarded two keys.
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