AAA’s new 2014 Diamond Ratings are now out. This year, AAA added 14 additional hotels and 14 restaurants to their top rating. However, AAA also downgraded 7 hotels from a Five-Diamond Rating to a Four-Diamond Rating. There are currently 124 Five-Diamond Hotels in North America (only about .4 percent of all hotels).
Here are the new Five-Diamond Hotels:
- Château du Sureau, Oakhurst, Calif.
- Wynn Tower Suites, Las Vegas, Nev.
- Montage Deer Valley, Park City, Utah
- Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto, Canada
- Banyan Tree Cabo Marques, Acapulco, Mexico
- Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Here are the new Five-Diamond Restaurants:
- The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, Calif.
- Acadia, Chicago, Ill.
- Grace Restaurant, Chicago, Ill.
- Sixteen, Chicago, Ill.
- Per Se, New York, N.Y.
- Restaurant La Tanière, Québec, Canada
- Restaurant Le Patriarche, Québec, Canada
- Cocina de Autor, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Congratulations to the new award winners! About a year or so, we wrote an article detailing how much harder it would be in 2013 to pass the Five-Diamond certification. Basically, you have to score 78 percent now, compared to 69 percent in the past. From the AAA press release:
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.”
Inspectors have also observed a continuing evolution in the nature of fine dining. “Reservations are increasingly hard to get as formality is reduced in favor of greater creativity and attention to food sourcing,” said Petrone. “Innovative chefs handcraft artisanal menus featuring local, fresh and healthy ingredients. Increasingly educated guests focus more on the quality and origin of cuisine rather than complex presentations. A knowledgeable staff that can facilitate a memorable dining experience is paramount.”
“Attaining the Five Diamond rating is not an easy undertaking,” said Petrone. “Establishments at this level must consistently provide an unparalleled guest environment and experience.” Candidates for the rating undergo multiple unannounced evaluations and a final decision by a panel of experts. Inspectors meticulously evaluate guest services and physical attributes, closely examining the level of competence, refinement and hospitality, from reservations to checkout for hotels and from seating to presentation for restaurants.
Also, noteworthy for 2014:
Chicago gained three Five Diamond restaurants: Acadia, Grace Restaurant and Sixteen, bringing its total to seven, on par with New York City.
California and New York each gained one Five Diamond restaurant, bringing their totals to eight and keeping them tied for states with the greatest number.
California and Quintana Roo, Mexico, were the only states to gain both a TrueGuest hotel and a Five Diamond restaurant.
Canada and Mexico both gained three Five Diamond establishments per country.
One hotel, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., has maintained the Five Diamond Rating for 38 consecutive years – since 1976 when AAA first introduced the Diamond Ratings for accommodations.
The restaurant with the longest consecutive Five Diamond tenure, 26 years, since 1988, is The Inn at Little Washington Dining Room in Washington, Va.
In case you were wondering, here is the full list of 2014 Five-Diamond Award Winners:
Arizona
Scottsdale, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
Scottsdale, Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North
Scottsdale, The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician
Scottsdale, The Phoenician
California
Beverly Hills, L’Ermitage Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, Montage Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, The Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows
Beverly Hills, The Peninsula Beverly Hills
Carlsbad, Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa
Dana Point, St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach
Dana Point, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel
La Jolla, The Lodge at Torrey Pines
Laguna Beach, Montage Laguna Beach
Marina Del Rey, The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey
Montecito, Four Seasons Biltmore Santa Barbara
Newport Beach, Island Hotel Newport Beach
Newport Beach, The Resort at Pelican Hill
Oakhurt, Château du Sureau
Ojai, Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
San Diego, The Grand Del Mar
San Francisco, The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco
Truckee, The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
Westlake Village, Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village
Colorado
Aspen, The Little Nell
Colorado Springs, The Broadmoor
Denver, The Ritz-Carlton, Denver
Connecticut
Morris, Winvian
Washington, The Mayflower Grace
District of Columbia
Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C.
The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington DC
The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.
Florida
Bal Harbour, St. Regis Bal Harbour
Fernandina Beach, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
Fort Lauderdale, The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale
Manalapan, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa
Miami, Four Seasons Hotel Miami
Miami, Mandarin Oriental, Miami
Naples, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples
Naples, The Ritz-Carlton, Naples
Palm Beach, Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach
Palm Beach, The Breakers, Palm Beach
Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra Inn & Club
Sarasota, The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota
Sunny Isles Beach, Acqualina Resort & Spa on the Beach
Georgia
Atlanta, Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta
Atlanta, InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta
Atlanta, St. Regis Atlanta Hotel & Residences
Atlanta, The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta
Atlanta, The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead
Greensboro, The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation
St. Simons Island, The Lodge at Sea Island
Hawaii
Kapalua (Maui), The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua
Kaupulehu (Hawaii) Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka’upulehu
Wailea (Maui) Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea
Illinois
Chicago, Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
Chicago, The Peninsula Chicago
Chicago, Trump International Hotel & Tower
Chicago, Waldorf Astoria Chicago
Massachusetts
Boston, Four Seasons Hotel Boston
Boston, Mandarin Oriental, Boston
Boston, The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common
Missouri
St. Louis, Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis (2008)
Nevada
Las Vegas, ARIA Resort & Casino
Las Vegas, ARIA Sky Suites
Las Vegas, Bellagio
Las Vegas, Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas
Las Vegas, SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand
Las Vegas, The Palazzo Las Vegas
Las Vegas, The Venetian Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Wynn Tower Suites
New York
New York City, Four Seasons Hotel New York
New York City, Mandarin Oriental, New York
New York City, The Peninsula New York
New York City, The Pierre New York-A Taj Hotel
New York City, The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park
New York City, The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
New York City, Trump International Hotel & Tower
New York City, Trump SoHo, New York
North Carolina
Cary, The Umstead Hotel & Spa
Charlotte, The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte
Fearrington-Village, The Fearrington House Inn
Ohio
Aurora, Inn Walden
Pennsylvania
Farmington, Falling Rock at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
Philadelphia, Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia
Philadelphia, The Rittenhouse
Rhode Island
Watch Hill, Ocean House
South Carolina
Bluffton, The Inn at Palmetto Bluff
Kiawah Island, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Tennessee
Nashville, The Hermitage Hotel
Texas
Houston, Four Seasons Hotel Houston
Houston, The St. Regis Houston
Utah
Park City, Montage Deer Valley
Park City, Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley
Salt Lake City, Grand America Hotel
Virginia
Washington, The Inn at Little Washington
Wisconsin
Kohler, The American Club
Wyoming
Teton VIllage, Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole
British Columbia
Vancouver, Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver
Whistler, Four Seasons Resort Whistler
Ontario
Toronto, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto (2013)*
Toronto, The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto (2011)
Québec
Montreal, The Ritz-Carlton Montréal (2012)
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua, Jumby Bay, A Rosewood Resort
Barbados
Holetown (St. James Parish), Sandy Lane Hotel
Dominican Republic
Punta Cana, Tortuga Bay Punta Cana Resort & Club
Nevis
Charlestown, Four Seasons Resort Nevis, West Indies
Puerto Rico
Rio Grande, St. Regis Bahia Beach Puerto Rico
St. Lucia
Soufriere, Jade Mountain Resort
Baja California Sur
Cabo San Luca, Capella Pedregal Resort and Spa
San Jose Del Cabo, Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort
Distrito Federal
Mexico City, Four Seasons Hotel Mexico D.F.
Guerrero
Acapulco, Banyan Tree Cabo Marques
Nayarit
Nuevo Vallarta, Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit
Punta Mita, Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Mexico
Punta Mita, The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort
Quintana Roo
Cancun, JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa
Cancun, Le Blanc Spa Resort
Cancun, The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun
Playa del Carmen, Fairmont Mayakoba
Playa del Carmen, Grand Velas Riviera Maya
Playa del Carmen, Rosewood Mayakobá
Playa del Carmen, Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun
Puerto Morelos, Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya
Source: AAA