Michelin released its first list of America's best hotels - so are they worth staying in?

I'm known to beryllium particular. I cognize what I for illustration and thing little could make maine consciousness satisfied. 

So erstwhile nan Michelin Guide released its first database of Key Hotels successful nan U.S., I knew I was up to nan task of seeing what each nan fuss was astir and if they were worthy it.

The database of 124 hotels were awarded one, 2 aliases 3 Keys successful a strategy that's akin to really nan Michelin Guide gives retired stars to restaurants.

One Key is meant to signify a 'very typical stay,' Two Keys denotes 'an exceptional stay,' and Three Keys, nan highest status, marks nan hotel's acquisition arsenic 'an bonzer stay.' 

This summertime I ventured to immoderate of these getaways that made nan coveted database successful Miami, Chicago and New York City. So what was it really for illustration staying successful Michelin-approved hotels?

One-Key hotel

Mandarin Oriental Miami 

Star rating: Five

Rooms commencement astatine $392 a night*

Attention to item is 1 of nan first stand-outs astatine nan Mandarin Oriental. I'm not saying that nan different hotels featured successful this communicative don't person that, but it's a value that has stuck successful my mind since my sojourn backmost successful May/June. 

One illustration that comes instantly to mind is that my hubby near his half-read book unfastened and upside down connected his bedside array erstwhile we went retired for nan time and upon his return we discovered a unit personnel had helpfully placed a bookmark wherever he had been up to.

Putting nan attentive unit aside, arsenic soon arsenic you locomotion into nan hotel, you cognize it's going to beryllium a unsocial acquisition erstwhile you're greeted by an almost panoramic position of Biscayne Bay from nan pristine wood-paneled lobby pinch floor-to-ceiling windows.

The room we stayed successful was a Deluxe Bay View King. It had unthinkable views of nan bay and nan skyline of Miami from nan balcony, nan bed, and moreover nan bathtub. The room has been designed to guarantee guests tin return successful nan celebrated lagoon nary matter wherever they are successful their room. 

Our enactment was very comfortable, and it was astir apt down to nan ample abstraction and nan cloud-like quality of nan bed. I was besides capable to prime different pillows that amended supported my cervix pinch a elemental telephone to housekeeping (Like I said, I'm very particular).

Upon booking, I joined nan hotel's Fans of M.O. rewards programme and 1 of nan complimentary perks was free regular meal for maine and a guest. And 1 of nan biggest highlights of this travel was enjoying meal connected nan waterfront. The nutrient was caller and decidedly amended than a mostly of edifice breakfasts I had had up until that point. 

On nan first day, I had 2 eggs, immoderate style pinch achromatic wood ham, and a broadside of meal potatoes. I sewage excavation poached and they had a beautiful runny yolk, which is my preferred measurement to eat eggs. A cleanable summation was a refreshing solid of freshly squeezed orangish juice to lavation it each down. 

For my 2nd breakfast, I opted for nan congee - a crockery I often eat erstwhile I'm sick, it's my comfortableness nutrient - which was served pinch a poached egg, and type garnishes of crispy onions, sambal, scallions, soy sauce, and minced caller ginger. I besides want to statement I sewage nan 3rd nighttime free because of Mandarin Oriental's One More Night offer, which appears to still beryllium moving astatine nan clip of writing.

Overall I would enactment astatine nan Mandarin Oriental again. But if you're looking to beryllium successful nan heavy of it, it's astir apt not for you. Because of its location connected Biscayne Bay (and we decided not to prosecute a car), we made a batch of Lyft trips to and from nan tourer spots. The main portion of South Beach was astir 25 minutes by car, and costs betwixt $21 and $26. 

With nan One More Night offer, staying astatine nan Mandarin Oriental wasn't overmuch much than what I would usually beryllium comfortable paying for a enactment for 2 group - and it was an elevated experience, peculiarly those h2o views.

Two-Key hotels

The Langham Chicago

Star rating: Five

Rooms commencement astatine $595 a night*

When we arrived astatine The Langham, we were warmly greeted by nan nighttime manager, Robert, and informed that we were going to beryllium upgraded from our one-bedroom suite to a one-bedroom suite pinch a stream view. 

As soon arsenic you participate nan hotel, there's nary uncertainty that you're astir to acquisition thing special. The lobby and reception areas are airy and very clean. Despite its modern furnishings and minimalist colour palette, it's still very inviting to guests who want to remainder their weary bones aft a agelong time of recreation aliases to chill out.

We were soon fixed our room keys and my jaw deed nan level erstwhile we walked into nan freely 1,230sqft suite that was overmuch bigger than our New York apartment, which, to beryllium fair, isn't hard. It had floor-to-ceiling windows truthful we could make nan astir of nan unthinkable views of nan Chicago River and skyline. 

I besides request to springiness a outcry retired to nan perfectly stunning bath that had a gorgeous walk-in ablution (with 2 h2o unit settings) and a immense soaking tub. Everything astir this room screamed luxury, down to nan free toiletries that included a comb, shaving kit, vanity kit, sewing kit, dental kit, nail record and loofah. It's nan small extras of this enactment that really made it guidelines retired from nan rest.

The bully group astatine The Langham besides granted america entree to nan The Langham Club, wherever guests tin person breakfast, ray snacks, day beverage aliases evening cocktails and drinks, while taking successful views of some nan stream and Lake Michigan. Access to nan nine is included for guests who book immoderate nine rooms aliases suites.

The meal buffet offerings were caller and well-stocked for those who person some a saccharine bony and salty cravings successful nan morning, including acold cuts, eggs, fruit, juices, and beverage and coffee. You tin besides bid regular specials disconnected their menu.

But 1 of nan champion highlights connected connection for meal was a top-tier croissant. It was everything nan delectable pastry is meant to be; a bully crunch, cleanable magnitude of flakiness, and chopped layers wrong truthful it was delightfully light. It whitethorn beryllium nan champion I've had successful this country, I americium not joking. I americium a large believer that erstwhile elemental things are done well, it tin beryllium phenomenal, and it was very overmuch nan lawsuit here.

The unit were besides immoderate of nan astir attentive I've ever experienced. No matter which portion of nan edifice you were wandering astir in, they were ever fresh pinch a grin and a friends greeting, they genuinely seemed happy to beryllium there. 

Overall staying astatine The Langham is not thing I will hide immoderate clip soon. If you person nan money to spend, it is worthy each azygous penny.

Pendry Chicago

Star rating: Four

Rooms commencement astatine $370 a night*

Housed successful 1 of nan astir striking buildings successful Chicago, nan iconic Carbide & Carbon Building (which I learned connected nan Chicago Architecture Center's stream cruise was inspired by a champagne bottle), nan Pendry has each nan hallmarks of nan 1920s creation deco style that instantly charm guests erstwhile they locomotion in. 

The original elevators are still being utilized to this time and are really beautiful to look astatine pinch their floral and leaf-etched aureate doors, and intricate crown molding. The creation deco features passim really do springiness nan edifice an otherworldly atmosphere.

We arrived early earlier check-in clip to driblet disconnected our bags, but we were pleasantly amazed erstwhile they told america our room was ready. For our enactment astatine nan Pendry, we were booked into a Tower King room. 

Despite coming from The Langham consecutive after, nan room still felt lofty and large capable for america to sprawl out. The décor was a classical monochrome and is instantly calming erstwhile you enter, particularly coming disconnected nan bustling streets successful nan bosom of Chicago. 

The lush furniture is inviting and everything astir nan room makes you want to settee successful for nan night, whether to bask a room work repast successful beforehand of nan TV aliases a solid of fizz by nan double-bay windows while taking successful nan skyline. 

The bath is besides a soothing abstraction pinch a walk-in ablution and each nan amenities everyone could request connected their travel (obviously not connected nan aforesaid standard arsenic The Langham, but it wasn't lacking successful immoderate way). I besides appreciated that towels and linens were only laundered erstwhile requested successful a bid to beryllium much sustainable.

I ended up ordering in-room eating connected our first nighttime because my hubby was emotion a spot ill, and I had a delicious Turkey Club and Tuna Tartare. All nan ingredients were caller and deed nan spot.

The adjacent morning, we besides stopped by nan hotel's Parisian-inspired edifice Venteux and had a ray breakfast. I had nan Avocado Toast - a beautiful equilibrium of salty, sweet, and citrus. While astatine nan Pendry successful nan first week of July, nan edifice had conscionable opened up Château Carbide, an absinthe-focused cocktail bar. 

We went for a nightcap and it's nan cleanable spot for one. And its rooftop location make it an perfect spot to get Instagram photos that'll make you nan envy of friends because honestly nan skyline from up location is gorgeous.

For its value point, nan Pendry provides an elevated acquisition pinch humanities roots and is simply a edifice I would take to enactment successful myself because I emotion places that person a unsocial story. If I'm being a nitpicker, nan only mini inconvenience was nan elevators being a small slow during my stay.

Three-Key hotel

Crosby Street Hotel

Star rating: Five

Rooms commencement astatine $1,165*

I admit a taxable and, arsenic a canine lover, I was really into nan Crosby Street Hotel's enthusiasm for pups. Now that I've sewage that retired of nan way, we tin talk astir really cozy it was to enactment astatine nan Crosby. 

The drafting room, which has a image of Simone nan Jack Russell Terrier, has that cottage-like value to it that makes you want to curl up successful 1 of nan comfy armchairs and publication a book. It felt for illustration a quiet portion of tranquility acold distant from nan chaos of nan SoHo neighborhood, wherever nan Crosby is located, and that's a uncommon point to travel crossed successful nan bosom of New York City.

We stayed successful a Deluxe Room that had floor-to-ceiling windows pinch a awesome ledge to perch upon to look complete nan sprawling sights that nan metropolis has to offer. In fact, we took afloat advantage of that pinch a solid of sparkling wine. 

Space is constricted successful New York City, but nan Crosby's Deluxe Room is arsenic roomy arsenic it sounds. I will statement that moreover though it's 1 of nan lower-cost offerings astatine nan hotel, it's still connected nan higher extremity of nan standard erstwhile it comes to costs connected this list. 

The room is bursting pinch colour and eclectic charm - there's bold prints connected nan upholstery and striking hues connected nan walls. I besides emotion that there's a TV surface installed into nan wall complete nan bathtub, truthful you tin relax pinch your favourite shows while having a soak. I show you I emotion nan mini details. Speaking of which, successful nan ablution headdress packet location was a hairsbreadth tie; thing I cognize a batch of long-haired people will appreciate. 

It's nan small touches for illustration that I appreciated here, including nan barroom fridge hidden successful nan wall, strategically placed hooks, and nan windows that springiness you breathtaking glimpses of nan iconic city.

For dinner, we ate astatine The Crosby Bar. I had nan crispy confit duck limb and tuna tartare, and some were delicious. Along pinch guests, nan barroom is simply a destination for New Yorkers to person after-dinner drinks, business meetings, and cleanable for people-watching. 

Again nan quirky charm of nan edifice carries complete to nan space, pinch agleam furnishings, cozy corners for nan first dates, and a wonderfully and aesthetically pleasing bar. Our server was very polite and attentive, and took awesome attraction of america passim our dinner.

Final thoughts 

If I wanted to splurge for a typical occasion, I'd astir apt prime The Langham Chicago, chiefly because I unrecorded successful New York City and I'd want to recreation to location different for a celebration. 

In my opinion, nan astir worthy it astatine its value constituent is nan Mandarin Oriental Miami because it's really overmuch I would beryllium comfortable spending for a fewer nights connected a picnic for two, and I do emotion h2o views.

*Prices astatine nan clip of writing