Michelin has recognized two Seattle hotels, Populus Hotel and 1 Hotel Seattle, with “key” awards, which honor hotels that excel in design, architecture, service and personality.
The two eco-focused hotels opened in 2025 and become the fourth and fifth Seattle-area hotels to be awarded a key, similar to Michelin stars given to restaurants. Last year, the Michelin Guide awarded keys to The Lodge at St. Edward Park in Kenmore, and downtown Seattle’s Lotte Hotel and Hotel 1000.
Michelin, which launched its keys program last year, has grown to include 300 hotels across the U.S. and nearly 2,500 worldwide. The Seattle-area hotels have each been awarded single keys, with the more prestigious two- and three-key distinctions yet to be earned by a local hotel.
For Populus and 1 Hotel Seattle, the distinction is affirmation of their respective visions.
“We created Populus as a collection of carbon positive hotels that celebrate the natural world and this prestigious distinction is a testament to our team’s commitment to reconnect guests to nature in the heart of these cities,” the hotel’s developer, Jon Buerge of Urban Villages, stated in an email.
The 120-room hotel at 100 South King Street in Pioneer Square is part of the $180 million RailSpur project. Denver-based Urban Villages is developing RailSpur and owns the Populus Hotels collection, which also has a location in Denver that was also awarded a Michelin Key.
Rob Brandenberg, general manager of 1 Hotel Seattle in South Lake Union, said in a news release the recognition from Michelin “affirms what our team has strived to do from day one: balance elevated, meaningful design with a deep respect for place, nature, and hospitality that cares for both guests and community.”
The 153-room hotel at 2125 Terry Avenue in South Lake Union opened in April in the former Pan Pacific Hotel space, following a renovation. The chain, which currently has eight U.S. locations, is operated by Starwood Hotels.
The Michelin key program extends the brand’s hospitality evaluation beyond restaurants into accommodations, leveraging the company’s century-long reputation for rigorous quality assessment. The key system mirrors the star system, with one key representing “a very special stay,” two keys indicating “an exceptional stay,” and three keys denoting “an extraordinary stay.”
Both awarded hotels emphasize sustainability and environmental consciousness, reflecting Seattle’s reputation as an environmentally progressive city and growing demand among travelers for eco-friendly accommodations. The carbon-positive designation claimed by Populus Hotel represents an ambitious sustainability goal where the property offsets more carbon than it produces.
The concentration of Michelin key awards in Seattle, five hotels within the metro area, positions the city as a competitive luxury hospitality market, particularly notable given Michelin only launched the hotel program in 2023.
The RailSpur project’s $180 million investment demonstrates significant confidence in Pioneer Square’s revitalization, an area that has faced challenges with homelessness and public safety but remains architecturally and historically significant.
1 Hotel Seattle’s transformation of the former Pan Pacific Hotel space represents adaptive reuse of existing hotel infrastructure, avoiding new construction while updating the property to contemporary luxury and sustainability standards.
