Three hotels in Houston and one in Galveston are awarded
Since 1926, foodies worldwide have been paying close attention to restaurants awarded MICHELIN Stars in destinations they have visited. Hotels were also recommended in the MICHELIN Guide, even though they were not given a special distinction. This has recently changed. In April 2024, the MICHELIN Guide, run by the French tire company MICHELIN since 1900, launched a brand-new distinction: the MICHELIN Key. While the MICHELIN Star recognizes the most outstanding restaurants in the world, the MICHELIN Key does the same for outstanding hotels.
The Post Oak Hotel
Over the last four years, the MICHELIN Guide’s selection team of independent experts vetted, scrutinized, and ultimately determined more than 5,000 remarkable hotels across the globe -with options for every style and budget- for inclusion in their collection of recommended hotels. Each has been selected for its remarkable quality. Out of these thousands of hotels, those offering the most outstanding stays are awarded the special MICHELIN Key distinction, receiving One Key (“a very special stay”), Two Keys (“an exceptional stay”), and Three Keys (“an extraordinary stay”).
Houston We Have a Problem suite at the Hotel ZaZa Museum District
In Texas, the MICHELIN Guide debuted in July 2024 and announced that their anonymous inspectors were already in the field selecting the best restaurants and hotels in the state. On September 12, 2024, the MICHELIN Guide released its list of hotels that have earned MICHELIN Keys across North America, with three Houston properties and one in Galveston cutting this first list covering Texas. Altogether, 288 hotels among more than 1,000 MICHELIN Guide-recommended properties in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico have been awarded keys, and 168 are located in the U.S. (not including 124 announced last April).
The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston, Hotel ZaZa Museum District and Hotel ZaZa Memorial City scored One Key each. Galveston’s Carr Mansion, an adults-only bed and breakfast housed in a restored 19th-century Greek Revival mansion, also received One Key.
According to the MICHELIN Guide, their team takes into account five universal criteria when selecting hotels: excellence in architecture and interior design, quality and consistency of service, overall personality and character, value for the price, and a significant contribution to the guest experience in a particular setting.
The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston
1600 West Loop South
The Post Oak Hotel, lobby
This luxury hotel, owned by the hospitality magnate Tilman Fertitta, is characterized by MICHELIN as “the swankiest hotel in town”. Reviewers were impressed -and you will be too- by the enormous Swarovski crystal chandelier and several Frank Stella original paintings in the lobby, and luxury rooms, “which start at 500 square feet and include lavish marble bathrooms with Acqua di Parma bath products and even a small set of in-room dumbbells. There’s an impressive spa as well, with a well-equipped fitness center and a lovely outdoor pool”.
Bloom & Bee at The Post Oak Hotel
Other unique amenities include a two-story Rolls-Royce showroom and on-site Bentley and Bugatti Post Oak Motors dealership, as well as seven restaurants and bars throughout the hotel with dining choices from sophisticated cuisine in Bloom & Bee and exotic libations at H Bar to pub-style fare at Craft F&B, an extensive wine list at Stella's Wine Bar, and fresh-baked pastries at Bouchée Patisserie. Also on the property is celebrity acclaimed and Texas’ first Mastro’s Steakhouse, as well as Willie G’s Seafood, a Houston institution with an amazing raw bar and seafood favorites. Cellar, the hotel’s expansive wine collection with over 30,000 bottles, offers guests and restaurant patrons access to more than $5 million of the world’s finest wines, including vintages dating back to the 1800s.
Hotel ZaZa Museum District
5701 Main Street
Hotel ZaZa Museum District
This boutique hotel in the heart of the vibrant Museum District promises an unexpected feast for the senses. It boasts a collection of exquisite guestrooms and suites, including Pool Villas, award-winning dining at Monarch Bistro, with its take on new and classic American fare (think steak, short ribs, and sushi), and a relaxing day spa onsite. MICHELIN highlights the hedonistic vibe of its luxury The Magnificent Seven Suites, and the ambiance of Concept Suites, each featuring an entirely different theme that “range from Geisha House, lavishly decorated in shades of red, to Houston We Have a Problem, whose gathering, eating, and sleeping areas have been tricked out in NASA-friendly blues, grays, and whites, telescope included.”
Hotel ZaZa Memorial City
9787 Katy Fwy.
Hotel ZaZa Memorial City
Even if this boutique hotel comes from the same brand as Zaza Museum District, it has its own personality, and MICHELIN noted it, calling the Memorial City version “clean-lined and bright, inspired in part by the mid-century modernism of Palm Springs.” The reviewers highlighted David Hockney prints in the corridors, the suites that “stop at nothing to establish a memorable visual identity”, in-room comforts, ZaSpa and the Tipping Point Restaurant & Terrace, one of the neighborhood’s favorites for fine dining.
Carr Mansion
1103 33rd Street, Galveston
Carr Mansion
Carr Mansion, an adults-only boutique bed and breakfast, is a carefully restored 1866 Greek Revival mansion. Located just ten blocks from Galveston's Seawall beaches and 13 blocks from the Strand, you'll be close to convenience and comfort. Whether you're looking for a quiet weekend getaway, an exclusive corporate function, or a picturesque venue for your special wedding day, Carr Mansion is a perfect location. MICHELIN noted that the house is fantastically well-preserved and beautifully updated, preserving at the same time its unique personality and that “every room is an experience unto itself.”
Photos: Courtesy of the hotels mentioned in this post. Header photo: Courtesy of the MICHELIN Guide. Opening photo: Courtesy of The Post Oak Hotel.
