Two Fort Worth hotels earn spot in Michelin Guide. Here’s who made the list

Bowie House General Manager Gaylord Lamy stands next to other hoteliers representing some of the 412 hotels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico added to the Michelin Guide Sept. 12, 2024. (Marcheta Fornoff | Fort Worth Report)

Bowie House has been open for less than a year, but the upscale west Fort Worth hotel has already earned one of the most coveted designations in the service industry — a spot in the Michelin Guide.

Bowie House earned a two key designation — out of three. The luxury 106-room hotel opened its doors in December 2023 and is part of the Auberge Resorts Collection with rooms running upward of $700 a night.

Hotel Drover, the Western-chic boutique hotel that opened in March 2021, earned one key. The hotel’s Mule Alley location is in the heart of the Stockyards. The expansive and luxurious property boasts 200 rooms with a starting rate of around $500 per night.

Kayla Wilkie, director of design and development for lifestyle and hospitality at Hotel Drover’s parent company Majestic Realty Co., said the designation is an incredible honor for her team.

“Coming shortly after being named the No.1 Hotel in Dallas-Fort Worth in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards for the second time in our history, we are deeply grateful for this continued recognition of our commitment to excellence,” she wrote in a statement to the Fort Worth Report.

Eighteen other hotels in Texas made the list as well.

The internationally renowned guide recently expanded its hotel recommendations and announced the addition of 412 hotels across the U.S., Canada and Mexico at a press conference Sept. 12.

Bowie House General Manager Gaylord Lamy credits the recognition to his staff and the hotel’s guests.

“I’d say its soul and the fact that it was able to make a clear connection with the local community — and it was welcomed with open arms by Fort Worth — I think that’s what really sets it apart,” he said.

Mitch Whitten, chief operating officer of Visit Fort Worth, said he is proud of both hotels.

“Hotel Drover and Bowie House reflect our city’s modern and western vibes that are attracting visitors from all over the world,” he said.

How cities brought Michelin to Texas

Fort Worth is one of five cities that collaborated with the state’s tourism office to bring the guide to Texas.

In that deal each city agreed to contribute $90,000 for three years with the state contributing $450,000 annually throughout that same time frame.

The grand total of $2.7 million is an investment to highlight the culture and cuisine of the state and draw more visitors.

“With 1 in every 3 tourism dollars being spent on food and beverage by Fort Worth visitors — the largest tourism-spend category, grossing more than $760 million last year — it was a no-brainer to join efforts in bringing Michelin to Texas,” Mayor Mattie Parker previously told the Fort Worth Report.

Texas is not alone in striking up such a deal. The tourism arms for California and Florida have invested six-figure sums to draw in the iconic hotel and restaurant guide. Countries such as South Korea, Singapore and Thailand have spent millions.

This relatively new practice in the guide’s long history has garnered criticism that it has weakened its luster and fostered a homogeneous service industry, accusations that Michelin categorically denies.

When asked about fees paid by states such as Texas and how the funds are used, a Michelin spokesperson told the Report over email that, “There is no annual fee for any restaurant or hotel to be included in our selection, as our selection process is completely independent.”

At the press conference Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, reiterated the guide’s commitment to independence, noting that it does not operate on a quota system.

Each of the five Texas cities that financially contributed to bring the guide to the state had at least one hotel recognized. Austin had seven, Dallas had four, San Antonio had one, Houston had three and Fort Worth had two. El Paso and Galveston, two cities that did not individually contribute, also landed on the list.

“The Michelin Guide first and foremost is not working for the industry but is working for the guest,” Poullennec said. “We are providing relevant, up to date and uncompromising choices and recommendations. We are willing to push them to explore off the beaten path.”

Of course, there are upsides for the industry, Poullennec continued.

“The recognition of the Michelin Guide is to put a spotlight on the most talented teams that truly deserve it,” he said. “Providing visibility to these people … (can) attract more talent within this beautiful industry.”

Elisabeth Boucher-Anselin, Michelin communications director, and Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, led a press conference announcing 412 new hotels to its vaunted guide Sept. 12, 2024. (Marcheta Fornoff | Fort Worth Report)

A very special stay, an exceptional stay, an extraordinary stay

Brothers and entrepreneurs Andre and Edouard Michelin hoped to inspire travelers to take road trips using their company’s eponymous tires, so they created a guidebook in 1900.

At that point in time the auto industry in France was still young, so the earliest guide included information on how to fill a gas tank and change a tire in addition to recommendations for restaurants and hotels.

It wasn’t until 1926 that the guide awarded a single star to select restaurants. It was later still when two and three star rankings were added to the list.

For hotels, a single key denotes a special stay and two keys refer to an exceptional stay. The pinnacle is an award of three keys, which indicate an exceptional stay.

Trained anonymous inspectors visit each restaurant and hotel multiple times, including different seasons, and evaluate service both on busy weekends and traditionally slower weekdays.

Fort Worth restaurateurs now anxiously await news about which establishments made the cut. A date for that press conference is forthcoming, a Michelin spokesperson said. Read more about hotels to win Michelin keys here.

Content retrieved from: https://fortworthreport.org/2024/09/12/two-fort-worth-hotels-earn-spot-in-michelin-guide-heres-who-made-the-list/.