A Norwegian Grand Slam: Three MICHELIN Keys for Nordic Hotels & Resorts’ Properties

The MICHELIN Key—the hotel counterpart to the MICHELIN Star—has unveiled its 2025 selection of outstanding hotels. Three of Nordic Hotels & Resorts’ Norwegian hotels made it onto the prestigious list: Hotel Brosundet in Ålesund, and Amerikalinjen and Sommerro in Oslo. This year marks the first time ever that MICHELIN Keys were awarded to the Nordic Countries. 

Introduced in 2024, the MICHELIN Key recognizes hotels for outstanding stays much the same way the MICHELIN Star recognizes restaurants for outstanding cooking. In October 2025, the MICHELIN Key unveiled its first-ever hotel selection for the Nordic countries. The launch marks a new chapter in how exceptional hospitality is recognized across the region. 

For Nordic Hotels & Resorts, it became a moment of triumph: three of our Norwegian properties—Hotel Brosundet in Ålesund, and Amerikalinjen and Sommerro in Oslo—were each awarded a MICHELIN Key. These three hotels represent distinct interpretations of Norwegian hospitality. From the windswept coast of Ålesund to the capital’s refined urban buzz, they signal not only a national benchmark, but a collective philosophy of authenticity.

– To see three of our hotels recognised in the very first Nordic edition of the MICHELIN Key is incredibly rewarding. Though they couldn’t be more different, they all deliver experiences that leave an impression long after a guest’s stay. It shows three different ways of understanding that today’s luxury traveler seeks more than room with a bed, says Henrik Berghult, Chief Operating Officer at Nordic Hotels & Resorts’ Luxury & Lifestyle Division.

A New Measure of Excellence

Despite the MICHELIN Key being a newly-instated accolade, highlighting hotels is not new to the MICHELIN Guide. Today, it already includes over 7,000 outstanding hotels across the world, each vetted by MICHELIN’s hotel experts. With the introduction of the MICHELIN Key, however, a special light is shone on the crème de la crème of the extensive selection.

The Key hotels are chosen based on character, quality, and a strong conceptual foundation. More specifically, inspectors assess properties based on five categories:

• Architecture and interior design
• Overall personality and character
• Quality and consistency of service
• Value between the level of the experience and the price paid
• The hotel's contribution within its particular locality

On October 8, 2025, the latest Global Key distinctions were revealed. In total, this first MICHELIN Key selection for the Nordic Countries includes 39 Key hotels.

Three Distinct Expressions 

In Ålesund, Hotel Brosundet channels the spirit of Norway’s west coast. Once a fish warehouse, its timber bones and maritime proportions have been carefully preserved, while its interiors speak to a tactile modernism. The hotel is a seamless extension of the port town of Ålesund, itself a stunning scene. Sitting as the entrance to the Geirangerfjord, the town is known for the Art Nouveau architectural style in which most of the town was rebuilt after a fire in 1904.

In central Oslo, Amerikalinjen occupies the former headquarters of the Norwegian America Line. The building once connected Norway to the wider world, serving as the launchpad for hopeful Norwegians venturing to the US in search of opportunity. Today, the hotel has revived that history—through its layered interiors, lively restaurant and bar, and an atmosphere that feels equally international and unmistakably local.

Just across the city, Sommerro brings Art Deco exuberance to life in the restored headquarters of Oslo Lysverker, the city’s former electric company. Here, cultural programming, bold design, and a “golden age” type of joie de vivre intertwine. The result: an urban destination in its own right, glowing with the energy of its past and present.

International acclaim is nothing new for this Norwegian trio. Just a day earlier, Hotel Brosundet, Amerikalinjen and Sommerro were also celebrated in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2025 as some of the best hotels in Northern Europe. While the MICHELIN Key is determined by expert inspectors, the Readers’ Choice Awards reflect the voice of the guests themselves—making these three destinations both critic and traveler favourites.

– What unites Hotel Brosundet, Amerikalinjen and Sommerro is that they are all personality-driven establishments. They’re not trying to replicate a formula. Instead, each one is an expression of its city, taking the history of their buildings and transforming it into a unique guest experience. All of this is brought to life everyday by the devoted people, says Henrik Berghult, Chief Operating Officer at Nordic Hotels & Resorts’ Luxury & Lifestyle Division.

A Defining Moment for Norwegian Hospitality

In recent years, Norway has steadily repositioned itself in global travel. More than a “bucket-list” country among others, it has evolved into a full-fledged destination of taste and texture. In 2024 alone, the country recorded nearly 38.6 million overnight stays in commercial accommodation establishments—the highest figure on record—with foreign guest nights driving much of the growth.

What’s particularly striking is that the surge is not limited to the high season. Winter months are seeing strong growth too, signalling that the country’s appeal extends year-round. This shift reflects changing travel patterns. Today, travelers seem to be increasingly drawn to destinations that combine culture, nature and design, rather than simply ticking off sights.

This combination is undoubtedly Norway’s forte. Consider the dramatic coastlines and fjords, or the understated but rigorous design tradition, or the urban hubs that pulse with both new-world hospitality and proud heritage. Against this backdrop, the Norwegian popularity comes as no surprise. It has, after all, achieved a difficult task: leading with nuance over novelty.