Press Release
October 26, 2000
LOS ANGELES, CA -- Fifty-six Southern California hotels and 29 restaurants have earned the AAA 2001 Four Diamond
Award, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.
The award-winning properties are among the top 4 percent of more than 2,000 Southern California hotels, motels and restaurants inspected by the Auto Club, the nation's largest AAA affiliate.
``The AAA Four Diamond status represents an extraordinary accomplishment by a hotel or restaurant. It's a demonstration of its impressive hard work, superior quality and exceptional customer service,'' said the Auto Club's approved accommodations manager Clarence Garlough.
``More than 42 million AAA members and the public depend on the Diamond ratings in the AAA TourBooks® to help them with their travel decisions. This award signifies that a property has met AAA's uncompromising standards of excellence during an extensive unannounced inspection. The hallmarks of Four Diamond properties are superior personal service, quality amenities and unmatched ambiance.''
The hotels and restaurants honored with a Four Diamond Award for 2001 and the number of consecutive years each
property has earned the award follow:
-- Inyo/Mono Counties Hotel
Death Valley Furnace Creek Inn 14th year
-- Inyo/Mono Counties Restaurant
Mammoth Lakes The Restaurant
at Convict Lake 5th year
-- Los Angeles County Hotels
Beverly Hills Beverly Hilton 21st year
The Beverly Hills Hotel 6th year
Regent Beverly Wilshire 8th year
L'Ermitage Beverly Hills 2nd year
Glendale Hilton Glendale 1st year
Los Angeles Century Plaza Hotel
& Spa 18th year
Four Seasons Hotel 4th year
Hotel Bel-Air 20th year
Hotel Sofitel 12th year
Hyatt Regency
Los Angeles 11th year
Park Hyatt Los Angeles
at Century City 13th year
Pasadena Doubletree Hotel-
Pasadena 11th year
The Ritz-Carlton
Huntington Hotel & Spa 10th year
Santa Monica Loews Santa Monica
Beach Hotel 12th year
Shutters On The Beach 8th year
West Hollywood Sunset Marquis Hotel
& Villas 15th year
-- Los Angeles County Restaurants
Beverly Hills The Dining Room
(Regent Beverly Wilshire) 6th year
Calabasas Saddle Peak Lodge 4th year
Glendale Gennaro's Ristorante 1st year
Los Angeles Gardens (Four
Seasons Hotel) 6th year
Le Chardonnay 10th year
Patina 10th year
The Restaurant
(Hotel Bel-Air) 3rd year
Santa Monica Valentino Restaurant 6th year
West Hollywood Diaghilev (Wyndham Bel
Age Hotel) 9th year
-- Orange County Hotels
Dana Point Blue Lantern Inn 10th year
Huntington Waterfront Hilton
Beach Beach Resort 10th year
Laguna Beach Surf & Sand Hotel 10th year
-- Orange County Restaurants
Dana Point The Club Grill & Bar
(The Ritz-Carlton,
Laguna Niguel) 5th year
Fullerton The Cellar 11th year
Irvine Chanteclair 11th year
Newport Beach Five Crowns 11th year
The Pavilion (Four
Seasons Hotel) 7th year
The Ritz Restaurant
& Garden 8th year
Santa Ana Antonello Ristorante 10th year
-- Riverside County Hotels
Indian Wells Hyatt Grand Champions
Resort 14th year
Miramonte Resort 3rd year
La Quinta Two Angels Inn 3rd year
Palm Desert Marriott's Desert Springs
Resort & Spa 14th year
Palm Springs Four Seasons Apartment
Hotel 25th year
The Willows Historic Palm
Springs Inn 4th year
Rancho Mirage Marriott's Rancho Las
Palmas Resort & Spa 22nd year
The Ritz-Carlton,
Rancho Mirage 13th year
The Westin Mission
Hills Resort 9th year
-- Riverside County Restaurants
La Quinta The La Quinta Grill 7th year
Palm Springs Le Vallauris 8th year
Rancho Mirage The Dining Room
(The Ritz-Carlton,
Rancho Mirage) 9th year
Wally's Desert Turtle 8th year
Riverside Duane's Prime Steaks
& Seafood
(Mission Inn) 6th year
-- San Bernardino County Hotel
Big Bear Lake Alpenhorn Bed &
Breakfast 1st year
-- San Diego County Hotels
Borrego
Springs La Casa Del Zorro Resort 8th year
Carlsbad La Costa Resort and Spa 25th year
Coronado Coronado Island Marriott
Resort 13th year
Hotel Del Coronado 6th year
Loews Coronado Bay
Resort 9th year
Julian Orchard Hill Country Inn 5th year
La Jolla Hilton La Jolla Torrey
Pines 11th year
Hyatt Regency La Jolla 11th year
La Valencia Hotel 12th year
Rancho
Bernardo Rancho Bernardo Inn 23rd year
Rancho Santa
Fe Rancho Valencia Resort 11th year
San Diego Hyatt Regency San Diego 8th year
San Diego Marriott Hotel
& Marina 17th year
Hilton San Diego 23rd year
Wyndham Emerald Plaza 9th year
-- San Diego County Restaurants
Carlsbad Vivace
(Four Seasons Resort
Aviara) 2nd year
La Jolla George's at the Cove 1st year
Sky Room (La Valencia
Hotel) 10th year
Rancho
Bernardo El Bizcocho Restaurant
(Rancho Bernardo Inn) 11th year
Rancho Santa
Fe Mille Fleurs 10th year
San Diego Bertrand at Mister A's 7th year
-- San Luis Obispo County Hotels
Cambria Blue Whale Inn Bed
& Breakfast 10th year
Cambria's Pelican Suites 2nd year
Morro Bay Ascot Suites 2nd year
Paso Robles Arbor Inn Bed & Breakfast 6th year
San Luis
Obispo Apple Farm Inn 13th year
-- Santa Barbara County Hotels
Ballard The Ballard Inn 8th year
Los Olivos Fess Parker's Wine
Country Inn 12th year
Santa Barbara Four Seasons Biltmore 15th year
Harbor View Inn 4th year
Inn On Summer Hill 11th year
Solvang Petersen Village Inn 17th year
-- Santa Barbara County Restaurants
Santa Barbara La Marina
(Four Seasons Biltmore) 4th year
AAA's Diamond rating program is the only hotel and restaurant review system in the nation that uses specially trained full-time field representatives. As part of AAA's national network, the Auto Club's own staff reviews establishments in Southern California without prior notification using detailed rating procedures.
Inspections of lodgings include at least one unannounced inspection and one overnight visit each year. Inspectors review and rate exterior and grounds, public areas, room decor and ambiance, guest room amenities, bathrooms, housekeeping and maintenance, management and guest services. Once the inspection process is complete, the properties that meet all requirements are awarded a rating of one to five diamonds.
Nationwide, AAA inspects more than 47,000 properties each year. Properties are rated within their own classification, such as motel, hotel, bed & breakfast, etc. There are 12 classifications, ranging from facilities that offer limited services to those offering full services. Only 3 percent of the estimated 25,000 AAA-rated lodgings and 4 percent of the estimated 11,000 restaurants attain the Four Diamond status. Approximately 60 percent of all lodging facilities in the nation qualify for a one to five Diamond rating. Five Diamond properties will be announced in November.
The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest affiliate of the AAA, has been serving members since 1900. Today, the Auto Club's members benefit by the organization's emergency road service, insurance services, travel agency, financial products, automotive pricing, buying and financing programs, automotive testing and analysis, trip planning services, highway and transportation safety programs and legislative advocacy. Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club's Web site at www.aaa-calif.com.
The Automobile Club of Southern California, Costa Mesa
Carol Thorp, Jeffrey Spring or Elaine Beno, 714/885-2333