San Antonio's esteemed Hotel Emma has earned very special distinctions for offering the most outstanding guest experiences in the world.

The hotel was recognized in the world-renowned Michelin Guide's first-ever North American "Michelin Key" selection, which highlighted 288 total hotels across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The classifications are awarded based on anonymous stays or visits by the Michelin Guide's inspection team, regardless of previous "labels, tourism stars, and pre-established quotas."

The hotel awards come as Michelin inspectors also are scouting restaurants around the state for their inaugural Texas guide.

Similar to the coveted Michelin Star designations for restaurants, the new Michelin Keys are broken down into three categories:

• 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."

In a lengthy profile, the Michelin Guide lauded Hotel Emma's historic background and its connection to Pearl Brewery owner Emma Koehler.

"Emma Koehler was the sort of fiery, no-nonsense dame that shouldered America’s pioneer tradition, once upon a time," the profile says. "In her day, she carried the floundering brewery through the unforgiving Prohibition years after her husband Otto died. In fact, believe it or not, there are actually three Emmas involved in the juicy, sordid backstory here; we’ll leave the rest of the sleuthing to you, as that’s part of the fun when it comes to a spot as historically rich as this."

Notable amenities that provide guests with the upmost comfort include luxurious Frette linens, Malin + Goetz bath essentials, Dos Carolinas robes, and much more.

Hotel Emma has 146 rooms and seven suites. Hotel Emma Facebook

Hotel Emma's restored design using Spanish porcelain, bronze accents, and mesquite-furnished terraces also add to the overall appeal for guests.

"146 rooms and 7 suites afford room for the design to subtly stretch; accommodations are split between the original brewery’s tower and contemporary digs in the River Cellars," the profile says.

The guide also praises the hotel's top notch dining and beverage establishments: New American restaurant Supper, "classic grocer" Larder, and Sternewirth cocktail bar.

Top-rated hotels and resorts elsewhere in Texas
Though there were no Texas resorts that were granted Three Michelin Keys, Austin came home with the highest number of awards statewide, totaling eight hotels. Commodore Perry Estate was the sole Austin resort bestowed with an esteemed Two Michelin Key rating.

Located on an expansive 10-acre property, this private retreat offers sumptuous amenities like wellness activities or indulgent sensory experiences — like chef-prepared dinners, personal tequila tastings, vinyl happy hours, or estate tours — and much more.

Earlier in 2024, the estate landed the No. 5 spot among Travel + Leisure's "Readers’ 5 Favorite Resorts in Texas of 2024."

Commodore Perry Estate was the one of three total Texas resorts to earn a coveted Two Michelin Key rating. Photo courtesy of Commodore Perry Estate

"[Commodore Perry Estate is] a Twenties mansion and satellite buildings in Italianate and Spanish Revival styles, and it’s all been brought entirely up to date by the expert hospitality designer Ken Fulk," the Michelin Guide's profile says. "The result sacrifices none of the estate’s throwback atmosphere, but brings it up to a 21st-century standard; like everything Auberge touches, it’s the very picture of modern boutique luxury."

The seven Austin resorts that earned One Michelin Key are:

• Arrive Austin
• Austin Proper Hotel
• Fairmont Austin Gold Experience
• Hotel Saint Cecilia
• Hotel ZaZa Austin
• Soho House Austin
• The Heywood Hotel

The only other Texas resort to earn Two Michelin Keys was Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection in Fort Worth. In a statement, Bowie House said the new accolade reflects the resort's dedication to offering guests "a unique blend of Western heritage and modern luxury."

"From its thoughtfully designed interiors to its curated guest experiences, the hotel offers an unparalleled stay in the heart of Fort Worth’s cultural district," the statement said.

In addition to Bowie House, five other Dallas-Fort Worth resorts earned One Michelin Key, including:

• Casa Duro, Dallas
• Hôtel Swexan, Dallas
• Hotel ZaZa Dallas
• Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas
• Hotel Drover, Autograph Collection, Fort Worth

• Hotel ZaZa Houston
• Hotel ZaZa Memorial City
• The Post Oak Hotel
• Carr Mansion, Galveston

The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park in El Paso also earned One Michelin Key.

"From retreats in the wildest U.S. canyons, Canadian forests, or Mexican coasts, to splendid architectural wonders; from flagship urban hotels to tiny properties nestled within former factories, campsites or isolated islands: every hotel awarded One, Two or Three Michelin Keys is a gem sculpted by talented professionals," said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide, in a press release. "Using the Michelin Guide digital platforms, travelers can now filter their search and book hotels for stays that we hope will be unforgettable."

The full list of Michelin Key hotels in the United States can be found on guide.michelin.com.