The Michelin Guide unveiled its inaugural Global Michelin Keys Selection this week, a distinction recognizing hotels and properties around the globe that "excel in design, architecture, service and personality."
Gwendal Poullennec, international director of Michelin Guide, unveiled the first-ever Global Michelin Keys at an awards ceremony in Paris on Wednesday evening.
Keys are the equivalent of Michelin Stars for hotels, a top travel accolade that points guests to discover new, independently-owned properties around the world that inspectors attest will provide guests the perfect blend of top-tier hospitality, value, and act as a gateway to local cultural experiences.
"One hundred twenty-five years after its creation as a guide for discerning travelers, the Michelin Guide is once again redefining excellence," Poullennec said at Wednesday's awards ceremony. "Michelin Keys now honor hotels that offer truly remarkable stays, where design, service, and location come together to create unforgettable moments."
The top tier Michelin Three-Keys distinction, according to the Michelin Guide, indicates "an extraordinary stay" with ultimate comfort, service, style and elegance.
Two Keys marks "an exceptional stay," and One Key indicates "a very special stay."
The worldwide selection includes 2,457 hotels, including 232 One-Key, 69 Two-Key, and 16 Three-Key properties from coast to coast within the U.S.
Thirty-seven of those properties earned Michelin Keys for the first time, while many retained their honors from 2024.
Whether it's a countryside escape from New York City with a stay at the newly minted One-Key property the Six Bells Countryside Inn in the Hudson Valley, a California coastal resort in Big Sur for a major life celebration at Post Ranch Inn, or a historic inn and farm in New Mexico at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm, each property has a unique story and offering for any kind of guest.
With dozens of incredible gems scattered throughout every region, the Michelin Keys encompass a wide range of stays for Americans to unlock their next great getaway.
Click here to see the full list of Michelin Key properties in the U.S.
Since last year's inaugural U.S. selection, there were some demotions as well as hotel closures.
The global list "updates hotel honors in North America, Europe and Asia while adding the first picks in nearly 100 new countries across the globe," according to the Michelin Guide website.
Inspectors also included new Key hotels in Central America and the Caribbean for the first time.
