a major award
Art-filled boutique hotel in the Heights earns coveted Michelin Key
The Hotel Daphne opened is Houston's newest Michelin Key recipient.
A boutique hotel in the Heights is one seven Texas properties to earn a coveted Michelin Key. The Hotel Daphne, a Bunkhouse property that opened in 2025, joins these other Texas stays on the list:
- Four Seasons Hotel Austin
- The Frances Modern Inn (Austin)
- Hotel 1928 (Waco)
- Missing Hotel (Marble Falls)
- The Ritz-Carlton Dallas (Las Colinas)
- Sophie’s Gasthaus (New Braunfels)
In its entry on the Michelin website, the Guide’s inspectors hail the five-story, 49-room property, which is also home to Hypsi, an Italian restaurant led by Houston chef Terrence Gallivan, and Bar Daphne, an art-filled cocktail bar. The hotel's walls are adorned with more than 160 pieces from the Ackerley Family Collection, which focuses on works created by living Texas artists.
A bohemian Bunkhouse hideaway and One-Key in Houston’s The Heights, with 49 rooms, a library, and a restaurant serving house-made pasta. Select suites come with a balcony; unexpected details include stitched floral headboards and funky soap dishes. A lobby shop sells locally produced jewelry and home décor.
“Being awarded a Michelin Key is a testament to our wonderful team and all the hard work they have put in to make Daphne what it is,” owner Ben Ackerly tells CultureMap. “The Heights community has been great in how well we’ve been received, and now that is being recognized on a broader scale with this accolade.”
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. Hotel Daphne is the fifth Houston hotel to earn One Key status, joining The Post Oak Hotel, Hotel ZaZa Houston (Museum District), Hotel ZaZa Memorial City, and the Hotel Saint Augustine, a Bunkhouse property in Montrose. The Carr Mansion in Galveston also holds one Michelin Key.
Similar to the famous Michelin Stars awarded to restaurants, hotels may receive one, two, or three keys, which is 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 (San Antonio).
