The MICHELIN Guide has spent more than a century defining excellence in dining, but its newest accolade is changing the way travelers evaluate hotels. The MICHELIN Key, now used across the United States and Canada, applies the same anonymous inspections and global standards to overnight stays. It recognizes properties that show distinctive character, thoughtful design and consistent, high-level service.
A new standard of excellence is sweeping through hotels, changing how travelers choose their overnight stays. Photo credit: Sonnenalp.
Only a limited number of North American hotels have received the designation. Some carry a strong sense of regional identity, others stand out for contemporary design or restored heritage architecture, but all meet MICHELIN’s criteria for architecture, service, personality, value and connection to place. Together, these early recipients demonstrate the Key’s role in setting a new benchmark for meaningful hospitality on both sides of the border.
What the MICHELIN Key represents
For decades, the MICHELIN Guide listed hotels alongside restaurants without applying the same level of scrutiny. As travel shifted toward design-driven and experience-led stays, the guide reconsidered how to evaluate accommodations. The MICHELIN Key, introduced in April 2024, brings hotels into clearer focus by adapting the principles behind the star system to the needs of overnight guests.
MICHELIN awards the Key at three levels: one, two or three. The system looks for qualities that matter to modern travelers, such as strong design, dependable service, a clear sense of place and value appropriate to the experience. Rather than reward size or traditional notions of luxury, the distinction focuses on hotels with intention, whether they’re restored landmarks, contemporary boutiques, wellness retreats or coastal escapes.
How hotels earn a MICHELIN Key
Michelin inspectors use five universal criteria and the same anonymous approach long applied to restaurants. Instead of counting amenities or ranking hotels by category, they evaluate the overall clarity and quality of the experience. Architecture and interior design, service consistency and the property’s distinct personality all play a role. Inspectors also look at value, whether the stay aligns with the price, and how well the hotel connects to its setting through culture, partnerships or a defined regional identity.
Why MICHELIN Key hotels stand out in North America
The hotels recognized in the U.S. and Canada share an emphasis on character and place rather than uniform luxury. Their styles range from mountain lodges and waterfront properties to urban boutiques and reimagined historic buildings, but each uses design and service to help guests understand what makes the setting distinct.
Some MICHELIN Key hotels draw heavily on local history, others focus on sustainability or wellness, yet all deliver service that feels precise without being formal. Together, they illustrate how the MICHELIN Key is elevating hotels that express culture, geography and community in ways that go beyond amenities.
Standout Michelin Key hotels in the US and Canada
The hotels recognized in the current U.S. and Canadian selections demonstrate the many ways excellence can take shape across regions. Some lean into natural landscapes, others into heritage or bold contemporary design, but all meet Michelin’s standards for intention, service and identity.
Sonnenalp Hotel, 1 Key — Vail, Colorado
The Sonnenalp’s Bavarian roots date back to the years after World War I, and that lineage still shapes its character in the Rockies. Family owned and distinctly Alpine in style, the hotel stands apart from Vail’s larger resorts through warm, personality-driven service.
Guests have access to a European-style spa, an indoor-outdoor pool and several dining venues, including Ludwig’s breakfast and the King’s Club for evening music. Access to the Sonnenalp Club in Edwards, with its golf course and racquet facilities, adds to the property’s One Key distinction.
Viceroy Chicago, 1 Key — Chicago, Illinois
In the Gold Coast, Viceroy Chicago takes a contemporary approach to luxury, pairing modern architecture with polished service and a strong visual identity. Its design-forward profile contrasts with the neighborhood’s historic residences, creating a notable presence in the district.
The hotel includes a rooftop pool, the restaurant Somerset and the popular Devereaux lounge. Its One Key distinction reflects its ability to define a sense of place within one of Chicago’s most established neighborhoods.
Bardessono Hotel & Spa, 2 Keys — Yountville, California
Bardessono was one of the first hotels in California to achieve LEED Platinum certification, a cornerstone of its identity. Its all-suite Spa Suite design allows for private, in-room treatments, from massages to bathing rituals.
The hotel’s suites feature fireplaces, large soaking tubs and indoor-outdoor courtyards or balconies, while the Maple Grove Villas add cocktail pools and expanded living spaces. Lucy Restaurant & Bar focuses on Napa Valley’s seasonal produce, and amenities like a rooftop pool, bicycles for exploring Yountville and the “Barkessono” pet program support its Two Key standing.
The Lincoln Hotel, 1 Key — Biddeford, Maine
Set in a restored 19th-century textile mill, The Lincoln Hotel combines industrial character with contemporary design. Its 33 rooms include gas fireplaces, exposed brick and preserved architectural elements that tie the building to the city’s past.
The hotel also features Southern Maine’s only rooftop pool, a fitness center and spin studio, a coffee bar and onsite dining from Batson River Brewing & Distilling. Its One Key recognition underscores the success of its adaptive reuse and its role in Biddeford’s ongoing cultural momentum.
Canyon Ranch Tucson, 3 Keys — Tucson, Arizona
Canyon Ranch Tucson brings a different expression of excellence to the MICHELIN Key landscape, centered on wellness and long-form retreat culture. Set in the Sonoran Desert, the property combines medical-grade programming with restorative spa services, daily fitness classes and outdoor activities that use the surrounding landscape as part of the experience.
Following a calm and understated design, the hotel’s rooms and shared spaces intend to support rest rather than spectacle, while staff draw from specialties in nutrition, movement and behavioral health. Its Three Key designation reflects a stay built around intention and wellbeing, where the focus is not on amenities alone but on meaningful, sustained renewal.
Lovango Resort & Beach Club, 2 Keys — Lovango Cay, US Virgin Islands
Lovango is the only private-island resort in the U.S. Virgin Islands to receive a MICHELIN Key. The resort has villas, treehouses and tents set into the hillside with views of the surrounding Caribbean. Michelin noted the resort’s relaxed, unpretentious approach to luxury.
The Snider family of Little Gem Resorts operates Lovango, and guests arrive by boat from St. John or St. Thomas. The property offers access to a full beach club, oceanfront dining and snorkeling areas that reveal a wilder side of the USVI.
Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, 1 Key — Edmonton, Alberta
Fairmont Hotel Macdonald has been part of Edmonton’s skyline since 1915, known for its chateau-style architecture and views over the North Saskatchewan River Valley. A recent renovation updated the interiors while preserving the building’s historic character. The hotel’s One Key distinction reflects its individuality and deep ties to the community, a recognition supported by its Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Award the same year.
The Hazelton Hotel, 2 Keys — Toronto, Ontario
The Hazelton Hotel brings boutique scale to Toronto’s Yorkville neighborhood, with interiors by Yabu Pushelberg and oversized rooms uncommon in the city’s luxury market. The Valmont spa and ONE Restaurant contribute to its reputation for privacy and attentive service. Its Two Key distinction places it among the highest-rated hotels in Canada and underscores its strong neighborhood presence.
Muir, Autograph Collection, 1 Key — Halifax, Nova Scotia
Muir draws on Atlantic Canadian identity, using local materials, regional art and coastal-inspired architecture shaping its waterfront presence in the Queen’s Marque district. Amenities include a guest-only speakeasy-style bar, Drift restaurant and a wellness center with a saltwater pool and Nordic cold plunge. As the only MICHELIN Key property in the Canadian Maritimes, Muir stands out for its deep connection to place.
A new era for hotels
Now in its second year, MICHELIN Key hotels in the U.S. and Canada show a shift in what travelers value. The designation favors hotels with a clear point of view, with places that draw from their surroundings, carry their history forward or approach wellness and design with intention.
A private island in the USVI, a converted mill in Maine and a century-old landmark in Alberta can all qualify under the same system because the Key values purpose rather than sameness. As the program expands, it’s likely to influence not just how hotels are evaluated but also how they define themselves in a market where character and connection matter more than ever.
Jennifer Allen is a retired chef turned traveler, cookbook author and nationally syndicated journalist; she’s also a co-founder of Food Drink Life, where she shares expert travel tips, cruise insights and luxury destination guides. A recognized cruise expert with a deep passion for high-end experiences and off-the-beaten-path destinations, Jennifer explores the world with curiosity, depth and a storyteller’s perspective. Her articles are regularly featured on the Associated Press Wire, The Washington Post, Seattle Times, MSN and more.
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