Is it possible to fairly evaluate and judge the differences between luxury hotel properties?
The AAA organization thinks they can with its AAA Lodging Diamond Rating program. For more than 75 years, AAA has sent out professional inspectors who conduct unannounced evaluations of hotels and resorts. Hotels are rated from one to five diamonds.
On the luxury end of the spectrum, AAA defines a Four Diamond as “refined, stylish with upscale physical attributes, extensive amenities and a high degree of hospitality, service and attention to detail.”
Five Diamond properties, according to the AAA Diamond Rating Guidelines, must have “ultimate luxury, sophistication and comfort with extraordinary physical attributes, meticulous personalized service, extensive amenities and impeccable standard of excellence.”
AAA performs more than 29,000 lodging evaluations per year and properties identified as potential possibilities for the Five Diamond Rating must undergo several unannounced evaluations and a final decision by a panel of experts.
Hotel properties awarded Five Diamonds are in rarefied air. The AAA Diamond Rating Guideline states that less than one half of 1 percent of AAA Approved lodgings receives the Five Diamond Rating and less than 5 percent receive the Four Diamond Rating. U.S. cities with the most Five Diamond hotels are Las Vegas (9), New York City (8) and Atlanta (5).
Some of the guest room necessities for a Five Diamond rating include a leading-edge design and effect in decor, bedding with a luxuriously soft, silk-like feel, custom fixtures with outstanding quality and an illuminated closet with at least two satin hangers. Other points are awarded for robes, slippers and a safe.
While some planners use the ratings in site selection, others take a more measured approach.
“From a planner’s standpoint, we know these ratings are important, but it has rarely made a difference in the outcome of my selection process,” says Terry Matthews-Lombardo, CMP, president of TML Services, a meeting and event planning company in Orlando, Fla. “Using the diamond system is something we might refer back to in our marketing of whatever program that’s been booked, but it is generally not a deciding element in selecting a particular hotel.”
Regardless of how the AAA rating system is utilized, it’s good to know there’s a third party evaluation if you want one.
