When you’re looking for some of the best dining experiences, it stands to reason you might consult the world-famous Michelin Guide for their top restaurant recommendations. They are simply the gold standard when it comes to high-class dining. The same couldn’t be said about hotels, though. Until a few years ago.
Looking to completely revamp their slumbering hotels section in 2020, Michelin began a comprehensive refresh of the way it looked at hotels, with a mission to provide a complete travel resource. Now, with a definitive, ever-evolving list of the world’s most memorable restaurants AND hotels, the Guide can truly offer the all-in-one resource, accompanied by tips and analysis from their Inspectors.
But what does all this have to do with our top Florida destination, you might ask Well, quite a bit, as it turns out. We are certainly now used to Orlando restaurants having the Michelin distinction bestowed on them after the very first Florida Guide was unveiled in June 2022. In that inaugural edition, Orlando was bestowed with fully 33 venues that earned either a Star, Bib Gourmand or Selected recommendation, and that number has since risen to 59, with nine that have earned a one or two-Star designation.
For those who like to seek out the very best of their holiday experiences, this has proved a real bonus when it comes to finding that extra-special meal, and you can see the full current list of our local Michelin-highlighted specialities on this link.
Yet our hotels had never received the same treatment, which seems odd when you consider how many high-quality resorts Orlando now boasts. However, we can now reveal that The City Beautiful is, at last, on the Michelin radar. As of last month, we have Florida’s first hotels that have earned the coveted Michelin Key, and three of them are here in Orlando.
In all, the Sunshine State has been acknowledged with 22 hotels worthy of a Key, one of them – Little Palm Island Resort & Spa in the Florida Keys – earning the highest designation of Three Keys (and only 16 in the whole of the USA can boast that distinction, including seven in California and three in New York City).
Another six Florida hotels merited the Two Key designation, notably three in Miami Beach and one each in the cities of Miami, Key West and Palm Beach. Among them, the Marquesa Hotel in Key West is one of our favourites in the state, with a laid-back vibe that is pure bliss, absolutely the epitome of Florida’s tropical allure.
Then, when it comes to the One Key hotels, this is where Orlando gets its long overdue acclaim, with a trio that all earn our highest seal of approval. In all, there are 15 throughout the state with this level of approval, including in Boca Raton, Tampa and the historic city of St Augustine, but “our” three are as follows, with the Michelin blurb and our thoughts about each one:
The unique ette Hotel in Kissimmee: “Luxury boutique hotels are still not exactly the norm in Orlando, but this one is up there with the best of them. Ette is just a few minutes’ drive from the theme parks, but within its walls is a hotel as urban and urbane as its counterparts in Miami or New York. The lobby is resplendent in richly figured Italian marble and the rooms are modern and minimalist, but not without warmth, and the comforts are first-rate. The Michelin-starred chef Akira Black is responsible for Lipa, the rooftop restaurant, as well as Salt & The Cellar, the flagship restaurant and cocktail bar.” Our thoughts – As distinctive hotels go, the ette is a true one-off and absolutely in the Top 10 of resorts you’d like to see, and, especially, dine at.
The eye-catching Lake Nona Wave Hotel: “Orlando’s Lake Nona Wave Hotel is known for its technology, and we’re not just talking about its gently curving silhouettes; it’s among the first to feature smart windows, which dim automatically in response to bright sunlight, as well as Toto toilets and, in selected rooms, high-tech beds and sleep-quality apps. Just as important, from our perspective, is the fact that its interiors are, if anything, even more distinctive in their design than the hotel’s memorable exterior.” Our thoughts – This is definitely another true original that needs to be seen to be believed. Everything about it reeks of quality, and its standout Sculpture Garden is just jaw-droppingly amazing.
The utterly ritzy Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes: “As for the hotel itself, it sticks to the tried-and-true Ritz-Carlton formula: big opulent rooms, Mediterranean palazzo style, old-fashioned professional service and amenities to embarrass lesser hotels. All rooms have balconies overlooking the resort’s parklands, but the top-floor Club Level has the best views (plus even more attentive service). The spa complex is vast, the golf facilities first-rate, the pool in the adjoining JW Marriott is enormous, and Knife and Spoon, the flagship restaurant, is helmed by award-winning chef John Tesar. It’s just about enough to make you forget about the theme parks entirely.” Our thoughts – Combining true luxury with a more playful vibe, as befitting Orlando itself, this is a gorgeous example of the Ritz-Carlton style while providing that get-away-from-it-all feeling that we adore on holiday.
Now, for all that we’re delighted to see three of Orlando’s finest be celebrated in this way, we think there are plenty more that deserve this level of distinction. In particular, we’re thinking of Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando’s range of magnificent resorts, and others like the Four Seasons (on Disney property), Rosen Shingle Creek Resort on Universal Boulevard, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort and the gorgeous Conrad Hotel, which is part of the stunning Evermore Resort, which we wrote about when it opened last year.
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