LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - November 9, 2007) - Thirteen Southern California hotels and one
restaurant have received the AAA Five Diamond Award for 2008, the highest
AAA rating for hotels and restaurants, according to the Automobile Club of
Southern California. The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa in Dana Point
received its first AAA Five Diamond Award.
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, received its 22nd consecutive AAA Five
Diamond rating and reigns as the most tenured AAA Five Diamond-rated
property in California. The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey and The Island
Hotel Newport Beach received a 16th consecutive AAA Five Diamond rating.
The state with the most Five Diamond winners is California (22) -- 16
lodgings/6 restaurants.
"The AAA Five Diamond Award goes only to the extraordinary hotels and
restaurants that meet the highest standards of consistent quality and
excellence," said the Auto Club's Approved Accommodations Manager Chuck
Smith. "The Auto Club congratulates Southern California's outstanding Five
Diamond establishments and their employees for delivering the ultimate in
luxury travel and dining experiences."
More than 60,000 Diamond Rated® establishments are evaluated each year by
AAA's 65 full-time evaluators. Only 0.27 percent who complete a successful
annual evaluation earn a AAA Five Diamond Award® and a listing in the
2008 AAA TourBook® guides.
A diamond was chosen as AAA's ratings symbol in honor of AAA's 75th
Anniversary in 1977. Diamond Ratings are published in the AAA TourBook®
guides, on the online TourBook® at
www.AAA.com, and in part, on
www.AAAmaps.com. It is the broadest coverage of any U.S. rating system,
both geographically and by number of properties rated. The Southern
California hotels that received the 2008 AAA Five Diamond Award with
consecutive years are:
Beverly Hills
Raffles L'Ermitage, Beverly Hills, 7
The Peninsula Beverly Hills, 15
Carlsbad
Four Seasons Resort Aviara, 9
Dana Point
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, 22
The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa, 1
La Jolla
The Lodge at Torrey Pines, 6
Los Angeles
Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, 7
Marina del Rey
The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey, 16
Newport Beach
The Island Hotel Newport Beach, 16
Ojai
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, 2
Pasadena
The Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel & Spa, 5
Santa Barbara
Simpson House Inn, 11
Four Seasons Biltmore, 3
The only Southern California restaurant receiving a 2008 AAA Five Diamond
rating was The Belvedere in The Peninsula Beverly Hills for the 13th year.
2008 AAA Five Diamond Facts: The total list of 160 winners includes 100
hotels and 60 restaurants and reflects 12 new additions to the list. The
new additions reflect eight lodgings and four restaurants.
Three properties have kept their AAA Five Diamond ratings for 32 years
dating back to 1977 when AAA first applied the Diamond ratings to
accommodations: The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colo.; The Greenbrier,
White Sulpher Springs, W. Va.; and Camelback Inn, Scottsdale, Ariz.
To be considered for AAA approval and rating, lodgings and restaurants must
undergo a thorough inspection. The Auto Club's staff reviews Southern
California establishments. Five Diamond establishments go through the most
extensive reviews of the Diamond rating programs.
AAA started listing accommodation information in its travel publications in
the early 1900s. AAA has been doing field inspections of restaurants and
lodgings since 1937.
Contact Information: Contact:
Elaine Beno/Jeff Spring
(714) 885-2333