2008 AAA Five Diamond Award Winners Announced

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. October 14, 2008

NOVEMBER 9, 2007. AAA has announced the 100 hotels and 60 restaurants that have achieved Five Diamond status, the travel authority's highest rating for hotels and restaurants.

For 2008, eight hotels made their first appearance on the list: The Canyon Suites at the Phoenician, Scottsdale, Ariz.; St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach, Dana Point, Calif.; The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, Las Vegas; The Umstead Hotel & Spa, Cary, N.C.; Four Seasons Resort Whistler, Whistler, BC; The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman; the JW Marriott Resort & Spa, Cancun and the Fairmont Mayakoba, Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

The four dining additions are The Penrose Room at The Broadmoor (Colorado's first Five Diamond restaurant), Lautrec, Farmington, Pa.; Blue, Cayman Islands and Le Basilic in Cancun.

Representing the upper echelon of the hospitality industry, AAA Five Diamond Award(R) winners make up just 0.27 percent of the 60,000 Diamond Rated(R) lodgings and restaurants throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

"Five Diamond establishments reflect the characteristics of ultimate luxury and sophistication," said Michael Petrone, director of AAA Tourism Information Development. "The physical attributes of these properties are extraordinary in every manner, and personalized services for guests consistently exceed expectations of even the most refined traveler. To achieve and maintain this level of service is an amazing accomplishment, and AAA is pleased to honor these establishments as Five Diamond Award recipients."

The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, The Greenbrier in West Virginia and The Camelback Inn in Scottsdale have maintained a Five Diamond Rating for 32 consecutive years - since the hotel Diamond Ratings were first published in the AAA TourBook(R) guides. Two restaurants have also maintained Five Diamond status for 20 consecutive years (since the Diamond Ratings were first applied to restaurants): The Inn at Little Washington Dining Room in Washington, Va., and Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia.

The assignment of a AAA rating of one to five Diamonds marks the completion of a successful annual evaluation. All properties must first meet AAA's rigorous requirements and guidelines during an evaluation by one of AAA's 65 full-time professional inspectors to become AAA Approved.

AAA's Diamond Rating System is the only ratings system that covers all of North America and one of only two that conduct physical, on-site evaluations. It is the only system that uses full-time, professionally trained evaluators to inspect each property on an annual basis using a set of guidelines that are made available to all establishments. AAA rates more properties than any other rating entity. AAA considers and investigates member feedback during reviews, but does not depend on guest opinions to derive a rating. In addition, AAA provides travelers the opportunity to post comments about their experiences at AAA Approved establishments.

As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 50 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. Access information about AAA Diamond Ratings and the complete 2008 Five Diamond Award winners list at AAA.com/Diamonds.