Two Austin hotels are among seven total Texas properties to earn a coveted Michelin Key in 2026.
The Texas portion of the new list is as follows:
- Four Seasons Hotel Austin
- The Frances Modern Inn (Austin)
- Sophie’s Gasthaus (New Braunfels)
- Hotel 1928 (Waco)
- Missing Hotel (Marble Falls)
- The Ritz-Carlton Dallas (Las Colinas)
- The Hotel Daphne (Houston)
Set on three lakeside acres along Lady Bird Lake, the Four Seasons trades city bustle for a resort-like calm. The 294 rooms at this downtown One-Key hotel lean into lake house design, with soft blue-and-gray palettes and views of the water or skyline. Expect a saltwater pool, full spa, and Texan touches like an on-demand margarita cart.
The Four Seasons Hotel Austin has one of the most premium real estate parcel in all of Austin.Photo courtesy of the Four Seasons Hotel Austin
A more boutique option is represented in the One-Key Frances Modern Inn, which only has 14 rooms in Central East Austin. No two rooms are alike: the smallest are cozy singles with reading nooks, the largest are two-story lofts with clawfoot tubs. Communal lounges and a rooftop remain open around the clock; dine in the restaurant downstairs, Siti, which combines influences from across Southeast Asia.
Announced Friday, September 18, Michelin added 65 properties in America to its list of Key-worth stays, bringing the overall total to more than 350 hotels nationwide. Sophie’s is only the second San Antonio-area hotel to earn Key status, joining Hotel Emma.Similar to the famous Michelin Stars awarded to restaurants, hotels may receive one, two, or three keys, which are defined as follows:
- One Michelin Key for hotels that offer "very special" stays with service that "provides significantly more than similarly priced establishments."
- Two Michelin Keys for "exceptional stays" where memorable guest experiences are "always guaranteed" with a special emphasis on the hotel's design or architecture.
- Three Michelin Keys for hotels that provide "extraordinary stays" for "the ultimate in comfort and service, style and elegance."
No properties in Texas hold three Michelin Keys. The state’s only two-key properties are the Commodore Perry Estate (Austin), the Bowie House (Fort Worth), and Hotel Emma.
