The International Hotel Brand With More Michelin Stars Than Any Other
If experiencing gourmet food is a priority when you set out on your world travels, you may want to consult the Michelin Guide when choosing your destinations and accommodations. And if you're traveling in style and want to keep close to some of the best food around, then there is one hotel chain where you should book a room.
Michelin stars are awarded each year to restaurants around the world for outstanding cooking. According to Michelin — yes, the same Michelin that sells your car's tires — its anonymous reviewers work full-time to evaluate "the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed in their cuisine and, just as importantly, consistency" at hundreds of restaurants. Ambiance and service are not taken into consideration.
As of November of 2020, per Fine Dining Lovers, 2,651 restaurants in the world boasted at least one Michelin star on the guide's scale of one to three. As of this month, 21 of those restaurants across 16 hotels are part of the Four Seasons chain, accounting for 28 total stars. This gives Four Seasons the status of having the most Michelin-starred hotel restaurants of any other brand.
Four Seasons Hong Kong has the most Michelin stars under one roof
Michelin stars were originally given by the tire company in 1900 to encourage road trips around France. They have since expanded across the world to help travelers find the best places to eat. According to TripSavvy, the stars traditionally have specific meanings indicating how far out of their way travelers should go for them. One star indicates a high-quality place to stop on your way to your destination. Two stars means the restaurant is so good it's worth a detour, while the coveted three stars — an honor held by just 135 restaurants — means the establishment is worthy of a special journey.
Four Seasons' Michelin awards for 2022 include six first-time awardees, as well as three-star ratings for three of its restaurants: the first Chinese eatery to ever receive the honor, Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong; Caprice, also at Four Seasons Hong Kong; and Le Cinq at Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris. Hong Kong now boasts the distinction of having the most Michelin stars under one roof, with seven across three restaurants, while the George V hotel received at least one star at each of its three establishments. Other Four Seasons Michelin star restaurants can be found in London, Beijing, Florence, Macao, Geneva, Athens, Guangzhou, Beverly Hills, Tokyo, Lisbon, Bangkok, Megève, and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.