2 SLO hotels awarded Michelin Keys as ‘most outstanding hotels’ in the US. Here’s why

Two San Luis Obispo hotels are among the best places to stay in the country, according to a new Michelin Guide ranking.

Hotel San Luis Obispo and San Luis Creek Lodge secured Michelin Key ratings, which recognize the most outstanding hotels in the United States.

The distinction is similar to the Michelin star system, which honors the best restaurants in the world.

Michelin announced its newest batch of exemplary lodgings on Sept. 12.

The list features 293 hotels from locations across the nation that are the “crème de la crème,” each excelling in design, architecture, service and personality, according to its website.

Michelin ranks hotels based on a three-key system.

One key means the hotel offers “a very special stay,” while two keys promise “an exceptional stay” and three keys signify “an extraordinary stay.”

Which SLO hotels received Michelin Guide rankings?

Two hotels in San Luis Obispo earned a spot on the coveted list of luxury lodgings with one Michelin Key each.

Hotel San Luis Obispo

Location: 877 Palm St., San Luis Obispo

Michelin rating: One Key (a very special stay)

The boutique hotel in the city’s Downtown Historic District has 78 rooms starting at $453 per night. It features a modern exterior with “airy and spacious suites, decorated in a style that draws inspiration from breezy beaches and boho-chic ranch life,” the Michelin Guide wrote in its review.

Lydia Bates, Hotel San Luis Obispo’s director of sales and marketing, said she was “thrilled” by the announcement.

“Michelin is such a familiar and respected name,” she wrote in an email. “We’re confident it will continue to increase the popularity of San Luis Obispo as a destination.”

Suites at the hotel include white oak floors, floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies or terraces.

Visitors who stay at Hotel San Luis Obispo can take a dip in a 50-foot swimming pool, relax at the SOL Spa or dine at two restaurants on the property.

San Luis Creek Lodge

Location: 1941 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo

Michelin rating: One Key (a very special stay)

The bed-and-breakfast has 25 rooms starting at $269 per night. It is spread across three buildings near downtown San Luis Obispo.

San Luis Creek Lodge was awarded a Michelin key due to its “intimate, low-key residential-style concept with the kind of design you typically only find in a proper luxury boutique hotel,” the Michelin Guide said.

Designer Nina Freudenberger of Haus Interior crafted the hotel’s aesthetic of “contemporary farmhouse” meets “Central Coast bohemian flair,” according to the lodge’s website.

Guests can expect breakfast and bedrooms with Fili d’Oro linens, Aesop bath products and upscale tea and coffee sets.

In an email, Common Thread Hotels co-founder David Dittmer, called it “an absolute honor” to have San Luis Creek Lodge recognized as one of the first Michelin Key recipients in the United States.

“We put a tremendous amount of care and attention into our intimate SLO hideaway and take pride in the hotel’s charm, design and warm, gracious service so to have that recognized on the highest of levels is a thrill,” he wrote.

How many California hotels received Michelin Keys?

California has more outstanding hotels with Michelin Key distinctions than any other state in the country, according to the Michelin Guide website.

Out of 293 hotels selected for the honor, 56 of the lodgings are found in the Golden State.

Seven California hotels were awarded three keys, 18 hotels were given two keys and 31 were presented one key.

Michelin highlighted hotels scattered up and down California’s coast, including the “sublime architectural achievements” at Post Ranch Inn and Ventana in Big Sur, “beachside luxuries” at The Georgian in Santa Monica and “wine country favorites” at SingleThread Inn and The Madrona Hotel in Healdsburg.

How did Michelin come up with its list?

Michelin relied on a selection team to decide which hotels would be recognized for outstanding stays.

The team judged hotels on five criteria, according to the Michelin Guide website:

• Excellence in architecture and interior design
• Quality of service
• Overall personality and character
• Price value
• Contribution to the neighborhood or setting

Any hotel in the world is eligible for a Michelin Key. The prestigious guide recommends more than 5,000 hotels across the globe.