Amangiri, Casa Cipriani, Bel-Air Hotel Make 2026 Michelin Key List of Best Properties In the World

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More than 300 U.S. properties have been awarded a Michelin Key for 2026, recognizing hotels for excellence in architecture and design, quality of service, character, value and “a significant contribution to the neighborhood or setting” they are in.

In total, 359 U.S. hotels were included as part of the 2026 Michelin Guide Key selection, with 65 newcomers added to this year’s list.

A spinoff of the popular Michelin Star award given annually to restaurants, the latest list of Michelin Key properties includes hotels in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Nashville, among others. Similar to the restaurant ratings, hotels were awarded one to three keys, with one key for a “very special stay;” two keys denoting “an exceptional stay;” and three Michelin keys signifying “an extraordinary stay.”

Holders of three Michelin Keys in the U.S. for 2026 include Canyon Ranch Tucson, Meadowood Napa Valley, the Amangiri Canyon Point in Utah, the celeb-loved Casa Cipriani New York, Aman New York, and Kona Village, the Rosewood resort on the Big Island of Hawaii. In Southern California, three keys were awarded to the Beverly Hills Hotel, and the Hotel Bel-Air.

OFF THE GRID LUXURY

Amangiri Canyon Point

Properties with two Michelin keys include Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, as well as The Setai in Miami Beach, plus The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, The Breakers Palm Beach, L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, The Maybourne Beverly Hills, and The Peninsula Chicago, among others.

The Fairmont Breakers in Long Beach, meantime, received its first Michelin key on the same day the hotel celebrated its 100th anniversary. First opened in 1926, the storied oceanside property became a playground for the stars during the height of the Roaring Twenties, playing host to names like Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant and Clark Gable. A century later, the Breakers has unveiled a $150 million renovation that restores much of the original architecture, while refurbishing guestrooms with a luxe coastal California vibe, and bringing a touch of modern Hollywood glamour to its bars and restaurants.

The Fairmont Breakers centennial celebration actually took place on the evening of Sept. 17, a day before its official anniversary and the day the Michelin Key announcement was made. An intimate crowd of hotel executives, local politicians, influencers, celebrities and VIP guests took over HALO, the Breakers’ tony rooftop bar and lounge for a night of food and live music, with views of the Pacific Ocean and downtown Long Beach below. Adding to the significance of the centennial, Historic Hotels of America proclaimed September 18, 2026, “National Fairmont Breakers Long Beach Day,” recognizing the property’s “century-long legacy and enduring place in the history of Long Beach,” per a release.

BEST HISTORIC HOTEL

Fairmont Breakers Long Beach

Fairmont Breakers wasn’t the only historic U.S. property to join the Michelin Guide this year. The Swag in Great Smoky Mountains National Park operated as a potato farm, before it opened as an overflow hotel in 1982 for guests arriving for The World’s Fair. After extensive renovations in 2018, The Swag joined Relais & Châteaux in 2020, and now makes its first appearance on the Michelin Guide, with two Michelin keys.

BEST SCENIC ESCAPE

The Swag

Other notable additions include Cataloochee Ranch, another Relais & Châteaux resort set among the Great Smoky Mountains; Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge, an adults-only wilderness retreat tucked on the banks of Oregon’s Rogue River; the W New York – Union Square, which feted its swanky $100 million renovation with a star-studded affair last fall; and the recently-renamed Sun Rose Hotel (formerly the Pendry West Hollywood), whose rooftop restaurants YUHI (a 12-seat omakase experience) and the sea-to-table Oleander are quickly become a place to dine the night away in LA, with views of Sunset Boulevard and the Hollywood Hills as a backdrop.

In addition to recognizing extraordinary properties, this year’s Michelin Guide Key selection also revealed top travel trends for 2026. Among the findings: travelers are increasingly seeking more wellness and fitness-focused offerings, and looking beyond the four walls of a hotel in favor of alternative experiences like outdoor camps and residential yachts.

Michelin says there is also a return to slower, more intentional travel, with the report noting that “Travelers are spending longer in fewer places and increasingly choosing less crowded, more accessible destinations,” while also “seeking privacy, authenticity and a stronger connection to place.”

BEST CITY STAY

W Hotel New York – Union Square

The 2026 Michelin Keys were awarded by a team of Michelin Guide inspectors who visited thousands of hotels around the world over the last 12 months. Michelin says all the inspectors travel anonymously and independently to identify hotels without bias.

The Michelin Key list now spans 2,832 hotels worldwide, with properties in Armenia, Benin, Botswana, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, Myanmar, Rwanda, Slovakia and Zimbabwe receiving keys for the first time this year. Of the 2,832 hotels, only 155 hold three keys.