These two Wisconsin hotels won Michelin Keys, the newest Michelin Guide award

If you're looking for some of the most luxurious hotel stays in the country, you don't need to go further than Wisconsin: two Wisconsin hotels have earned Michelin Keys in the latest distinction awarded by the Michelin Guide.

The company, which is known for awarding the best restaurants in the world, announced its full list of Michelin Key-winning hotels in the United States earlier this month. Including the Wisconsin recipients, 293 hotels earned a key.

Here's which Wisconsin hotels made the list and how the inaugural Michelin Key awards worked.

What is a Michelin Key?

Michelin Guide created the Michelin Key in April 2024 to recognize the most outstanding hotels in the world.

In the same way that Michelin-rated restaurants are awarded stars, Michelin-rated hotels receive either one, two or three keys, and the quality of the hotel increases with the number of keys. One key marks a very special stay, two mark an exceptional stay and three mark an extraordinary stay. Both Wisconsin hotels on the list earned one key.

After four years of comprehensive research and vetting, judges selected the key-winning hotels based on the five universal criteria of Michelin stars:

• Excellence in architecture and interior design
• Quality and consistency of service
• Overall personality and character
• Value for the price
• Significant contribution to the neighborhood or setting

Hotel Goodwin (Beloit, WI)

Earning the title of "very special stay," Hotel Goodwin is a 34-room, boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Beloit. The establishment is named after the Goodwin House, a long-gone historic Beloit hotel.

"Hotel Goodwin may take its inspiration — and its name — from a 19th-century Beloit landmark, but in its current incarnation it’s every bit a 21st-century boutique hotel," the Michelin Guide said .

All rooms at The Goodwin come with a 65-inch TV, a turntable with a small record collection and a complimentary continental breakfast. Bathrooms are outfitted with luxury bath products and walk-in showers.

In terms of dining, guests can enjoy drinks at Beloit's only rooftop bar , modern Italian fare at Velvet Buffalo or burgers made with local Wisconsin ingredients at Lucy's #7, among other options.

Address: 500 Public Ave., Beloit, WI

Rate: Starting at $199 per night, not including taxes and fees, for the classic king- and queen-size rooms. Rates are higher during the weekends and the busier months of the year.

The Charmant Hotel (La Crosse, WI)

The Charmant Hotel , which also earned one Michelin Key, is "a taste of France in the Midwest," according to the Michelin Guide .

The 67-room, boutique hotel is located in a former candy factory that first opened in 1898. Though the hotel has undergone extensive renovation since then, touches of its history still permeate the space — including in The Charmant's name, which comes from the former candy brand's premium line of chocolates.

Rooms include rainfall showers, flat-screen TVs, Bluetooth sound systems and minibars chock full of locally made products. The hotel also houses a restaurant serving French-inspired cuisine, a coffee and wine bar, and a rooftop space serving wood-fired pizza with a view of the Mississippi River.

Address: 101 State St., La Crosse, WI

Rates: Starting at $179 per night, excluding taxes and fees, for a classic king-size room. Rates are higher during the weekends and the busier months of the year.

More: This western Wisconsin city is among the 50 best places to live in the country, Money says

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: These two Wisconsin hotels won Michelin Keys, the newest Michelin Guide award