One & Only Mandarina in Mexico.
At a recent event in Austin, Texas in the United States, the Michelin Guide awarded its first complete list of honours for hotels to stay in North America.
Similar to the stars it hands out for the best culinary experiences, Michelin’s new ranking system for hotels hands out “keys” – one key marks a “very special” stay, two keys make it “exceptional” and three keys reflect hotels that offer an “extraordinary” stay.
Just 10 hotels received the highest recognition with three keys: five are in the US, three in Mexico and two in Canada. They include Canyon Ranch Tucson, Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort, One & Only Mandarina and Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge.
These new elections are in addition to the first round of hotels in major US markets that was announced in April, locations that mirror where the Michelin Guide also reviews restaurants: New York City, California, Chicago (Illinois), Florida, Colorado, Atlanta (Georgia) and Washington, DC.
That brings the total to 412 North American hotels that now hold their first-ever Michelin Key with 292 in the US, 87 in Mexico and 33 in Canada.
For the US, top winners point to properties located in beach and nature markets, including Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Montana and Utah. In Mexico, two are near Puerto Vallarta and one sits on the Caribbean coastline, while Canada’s top two are on Fogo Island and in British Columbia.
Fogo Island Inn in Canada.
Overall, across all categories, Michelin’s first round of North American hotel awards show a more expansive list of locations that include big cities, mountainous retreats and funky lodges in small towns. “This selection shines through its incredible diversity and is a clear invitation to explore North America,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, in a release.
Michelin’s aim, of course, is for consumers to see its key system as a new benchmark, that is as ubiquitous as its restaurant rankings and the global recognition they bring. For hotel rankings, Michelin Guide’s inspection team goes on anonymous stays or visits, irrespective of a property’s past awards.
This first-ever full listing for North America shows a marked effort to recognise locations that the restaurant guides don’t currently cover, shining a light on hotel restaurants that may need the recognition to draw talent. Not least is the incentive it creates for hotels to further improve service.
The hotel picks also don’t limit themselves to other recognised rankings lists, such as the recent World’s 50 Best. Take the three-key selections for Mexico: One & Only Mandarina ranked No. 8 on the World’s 50 Best, but yoga beach resort Xinalani, about 20km south of Puerto Vallarta with a beach reached only by boat, is not.
Xinalani in Mexico.
Still, there are disparities across the rankings, which is unsurprising given the criteria is limited to “accommodations that stand out for their unique hospitality concept, distinctive character, warm welcome and extremely high level of service”.
Take the revived 1960s converted motel Tourists, in the Berkshires in Massachusetts, which is delightful with its family-friendly atmosphere. Near its lobby are stationed a handful of wagons so you can more easily bring to your bags to your room at check-in, in lieu of a bellhop.
The hotel has neither a concierge of a spa. Yet it ranks in the same key category as Blackberry Farm, an all-inclusive luxurious resort in the Great Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee.
Tourists resort in the US.
Similarly, in Canada, there are no Indigenous-owned properties featured. This is a category that would have spoken to the pillars of what makes a great hotel experience, and presented an opportunity to shine a light on well-established Indigenous hospitality offerings, which could always use more global recognition.
The next set of Michelin Keys will be handed to Thailand hotels on Sept 25, as well as those in Britain and Ireland on Oct 1, followed by Germany and Switzerland on Oct 9. – Bloomberg
Here is the full list of hotels in North America (Canada, the US and Mexico) that received three keys, as well as a selection of those with one and two keys.
THREE KEYS
US:
Canyon Ranch Tucson
Little Palm Island Resort & Spa
Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort
Sage Lodge
Amangiri
Amangiri in the US.
Mexico:
One & Only Mandarina
Hotel Esencia
Xinalani
Canada:
Fogo Island Inn
Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge
TWO KEYS
US:
Tourists
The Ivy Hotel
Montage Palmetto Bluff
Blackberry Farm
Raffles Boston
Mexico:
Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection
Chablé Yucatan
Rosewood Mayakoba
Maroma, A Belmond Hotel
Casa Polanco
Canada:
Auberge Saint-Antoine
Fairmont Chateau Whistler
Rosewood Hotel Georgia
Manoir Hovey
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto at Yorville
The Ivy Hotel in the US.
ONE KEY
US:
Royal Palms Resort and Spa, Phoenix El Portal, Sedona
The Perry Hotel Key West
The White Elephant Palm Beach
Bellwether House
Mexico:
Banyan Tree Cabo Marqués
Boca de Agua Bacalar Casa Hormiga
The Cape, A Thompson Hotel
Waldorf Astoria Cancun
Canada:
Fairmont Banff Springs
Muir, Autograph Collection
Post Hotel & Spa
Hotel Quintessence
Le Petit Hotel
