ORLANDO
AAA recently announced the 183 select establishments that earned the AAA/CAA Five Diamond Rating in the past 12 months, qualifying them for the 2014 Five Diamond Award lists. This exclusive group represents just 0.3 percent of the 59,000 AAA/CAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants. Five Diamond establishments stand apart using highly personalized approaches and creativity to enhance guest comfort and provide memorable experiences.
As a result of this year’s additions, Chicago is now on par with New York City in its wealth of fine dining options, each home to seven Five Diamond restaurants. To the north, Québec now boasts Canada’s highest concentration of Five Diamond establishments, with four restaurants and one hotel.
New Five Diamond Hotels (6):
- Château du Sureau, Oakhurst, Calif.
- Wynn Tower Suites, Las Vegas
- Montage Deer Valley, Park City, Utah
- Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto
- Banyan Tree Cabo Marques, Acapulco, Mexico
- Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
New Five Diamond Restaurants (8):
- The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, Calif.
- Acadia, Chicago, Ill.
- Grace Restaurant, Chicago
- Sixteen, Chicago
- Per Se, New York, N.Y.
- Restaurant La Tanière, Québec, Canada
- Restaurant Le Patriarche, Québec, Canada
- Cocina de Autor, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
AAA inspectors collectively visit some 1,200 hotels and restaurants each week, allowing them to identify emerging trends in the industry. “At the ultra-luxury hotel level we’ve noted a move toward minimalism in design but not overall experience,” said Michael Petrone, director, AAA Tourism Information Development, “and an emphasis on privacy and intimacy with options like in-room fitness, private butler service and spa-like bathrooms. Guests enjoy highly personalized, learning-oriented experiences worthy of immediate sharing through digital channels.”
As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 54 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.
Among the longest running hotel recipients of the Five Diamond award are the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., which has been hailed for 38 consecutive years, and the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, on Maui, which has been honored for 19 years running. The restaurant with the longest consecutive Five Diamond tenure is The Inn at Little Washington Dining Room in Washington, Va., with 26 years of non-stop excellence.
Pictured: Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua (Maui), Hawaii, recipient of the AAA Five-Diamond rating for 19 consecutive years.