These Are The Best Hotels In America, According To Michelin Guide

The top 16 luxury hotels in the U.S. received the ultimate accolade of three key honors, while five new highly rated properties were revealed in Mexico and Canada.

By Jim Dobson

MICHELIN announced a second wave of top picks for the best hotels in the U.S. and also revealed its selections for a prestigious group of luxury hotels in Canada and Mexico, all receiving the top honor of “three keys.”

According to Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the MICHELIN Guide, “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 is a gem sculpted by talented professionals.”

Rating hotels is a new concept for Michelin, and the “key” system is used in a way that is very similar to its restaurant star system. One key indicates a “special” hotel, two keys are “exceptional,” and the coveted three keys are awarded to “extraordinary” establishments. Here are the highly rated hotels along with MICHELIN inspectors’ comments.

Three Keys: Extraordinary Hotels

United States

This year’s list includes five U.S. hotels joining the exclusive three-key club, with three top properties in the American West. These newly added hotels contribute to 16 that have received Michelin’s ultimate three-key ranking.

Arizona: Canyon Ranch Tucson

“While the serious health focus means there’s no alcohol served here, and the cooking is uniformly healthful, mealtimes are a source of pleasure all the same. So are the accommodations, a selection of rooms and suites in a soothing modern style, equipped with luxuries that are substantial but always tasteful. If it were an ordinary hotel, Canyon Ranch would be a very fine one, secluded as it is on 150 acres of spectacular Sonoran Desert landscape, with every creature comfort anticipated and effortlessly provided.”

Florida: Little Palm Island Resort & Spa

“This four-acre island is home to a mere 30 suites, and a couple of rules — no guests under 18, no audible cell phones — serve to keep the atmosphere properly tranquil. The suites themselves are divided among a number of thatched-roof bungalows, some more secluded than others, but all more than private enough. The look is thoroughly classic, in the British West Indies mode, while the comforts are delightfully low-tech — indoor and outdoor showers, the occasional outdoor tub, and no televisions anywhere.”

Hawaii: Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort

“Its 150 bungalows were designed by the San Francisco–based Nicole Hollis, and they’re a masterful mix of familiar Hawaiian elements and modern, kitsch-free tropical chic. Even the basic rooms span 600 square feet and open onto private lanais; meanwhile the vast signature suites come with four bedrooms and a private pool and sleep up to 12 guests. There’s an impressive spa and wellness center, plus facilities for tennis and pickleball, as well as just about any imaginable seafaring activity.”

Montana: Sage Lodge

“The lodge is located along the banks of the Yellowstone River in the aptly named Paradise Valley. The style is modern-rustic, and the comforts are as plush as the landscape is rugged; there’s no end of opportunity for outdoor adventure, plus a luxe spa and a pair of restaurants serving menus centered around meats and produce sourced from local ranches and farms.”

Utah: Amangiri

“Some designers might try to temper the hard edges of the Southwestern desert with plush, ornate interiors. These villas go the other way, with concrete walls and rough timber furnishings which strain the usual limits of minimalism. (And for an experience that’s somewhat closer to nature, they’ve added Camp Sarika, a set of ten tented pavilions a five-minute drive from Amangiri proper, each one equipped with its own private plunge pool, and sharing a restaurant, a swimming pool, and a spa.)”

Canada

Michelin named its top luxury hotels in Canada, with two properties receiving the most coveted three key recognition. Both hotels are remote and secluded, attracting adventure travelers to unique climates.

Fogo Island Inn off the coast of Newfoundland

“Perhaps the only thing stopping the Fogo Island Inn from becoming the most famous high-design luxury hotel in the world is its far-flung location, on a tiny island off the coast of Newfoundland. 29 luxe rooms with spectacular views, an impressive high-end locavore restaurant, and excursions that range from whale-watching to iceberg tours and beyond — it’s no small voyage, but this one is well worth the effort.”

Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge on Vancouver Island

“The spacious canvas tents of Clayoquot are a throwback to centuries past. Think Victorian summer vacations or British explorers in Africa. The 20 guest and family tents—furnished with handcrafted and vintage antique furniture—sit on wood platforms connected by a series of cedar plank walkways. When the dinner bell rings, a gourmet meal awaits at the ranch-style log cookhouse, where seasonal foods are prepared over an open fire.”

Mexico

Three Mexican hotels have been added with three key honors, each representing a stunning beachside destination with architecture that takes advantage of the dramatic Mexican landscape.

One&Only Mandarina on Mexico’s Western coast

“An hour or so up the coast from crowded Puerto Vallarta, the spectacular One&Only Mandarina combines eco-lodge sensitivity, boutique-hotel good looks, and luxury-hotel comforts and facilities, all in a tranquil setting amid 80 acres of coastal rainforest. The treehouses and villas are stunning, inside and out, and come with every conceivable luxury, from plunge pools to butler service. The three restaurants draw on some high-caliber culinary talent, and the diversions include anything from humble nature walks to various seafaring and whale-watching adventures and the genteel pursuits on offer at the Mandarina Polo & Equestrian Club.”

Xinalani Retreat near Puerto Vallarta

“A peaceful retreat geared toward yoga enthusiasts. The natural landscape surrounding the place is Xinalani’s main attraction: even the 33 guest rooms, situated within a series of palm-thatched cabins, are open-air. Each has just three walls and a curtain that you’ll probably leave open most of the time, the better to catch a sea breeze or gaze at the thousands of stars twinkling in the night sky.”

Hotel Esencia on Mexico’s Caribbean coast

“An intimate beachside escape. The main structure at the Esencia, a converted home of a European duchess, houses a handful of guest rooms; other accommodations range from the Jungle Suites, surrounded by beachside gardens, to free-standing beachfront bungalows. One unique offering, is the organic spa, using principles of ancient medicine. And Hotel Esencia features not one restaurant, but three: the Mexican-Mediterranean Mistura, the Japanese Taiyo, and an outpost of the global steakhouse brand Beefbar.”

Previously Announced Three Key Winners

California (Beverly Hills): The Beverly Hills Hotel

California (Big Sur): Post Ranch Inn

California (Healdsburg): SingleThread Inn

California (Los Angeles): Hotel Bel-Air

California (Rutherford): Auberge du Soleil

California (St. Helena): Meadowood Napa Valley

California (Woodside): Canyon Ranch Woodside

New York: Aman New York

New York: Casa Cipriani New York

New York: Crosby Street Hotel

New York: The Whitby Hotel

Via Forbes