Three Hotels and One Restaurant Receive First-Year Awards
Press Release
October 15, 1999
LOS ANGELES, CA -- Sixty-two Southern California hotels and 32 restaurants have earned the AAA 2000 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 symbolizes an extraordinary accomplishment by an establishment and its ongoing commitment
to hard work, superior quality and exceptional service,'' said Clarence Garlough, manager of the Auto Club's Approved
Accommodations. ``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 measured up to AAA's uncompromising
standards of excellence during an extensive inspection. Four Diamond properties deliver a memorable experience
with superior personal service, quality amenities and unforgettable ambiance.''
The hotels and restaurants honored with a Four Diamond Award and the number of consecutive years each property
has earned the award follow:
-- Inyo/Mono Counties Hotel
Death Valley Furnace Creek Inn 13th year
-- Inyo/Mono Counties Restaurant
Mammoth Lakes The Restaurant at Convict Lake 4th year
-- Los Angeles County Hotels
Beverly Hills Beverly Hilton 20th year
The Beverly Hills Hotel 5th year
Regent Beverly Wilshire 7th year
L'Ermitage Beverly Hills 1st year
Long Beach Hilton Long Beach 8th year
Renaissance Long Beach Hotel 3rd year
Los Angeles Century Plaza Hotel & Tower 17th year
Four Seasons Hotel 3rd year
Hotel Bel-Air 19th year
Hotel Sofitel 11th year
Hyatt Regency Los Angeles 10th year
Park Hyatt Los Angeles 12th year
The Regal Biltmore Hotel 23rd year
W Los Angeles 24th year
Pasadena Doubletree Hotel-Pasadena 10th year
The Ritz-Carlton Huntington
Hotel & Spa 9th year
Santa Monica Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel 11th year
Shutters On The Beach 7th year
West Hollywood Sunset Marquis Hotel & Villas 14th year
Los Angeles County Restaurants
Beverly Hills The Dining Room
(Regent Beverly Wilshire) 5th year
Calabasas Saddle Peak Lodge 3rd year
Los Angeles Bernard's (The Regal Biltmore
Hotel) 10th year
Dynasty Room (W Los Angeles) 8th year
Gardens (Four Seasons Hotel) 5th year
Le Chardonnay 9th year
Patina 9th year
The Restaurant (Hotel Bel Air) 2nd year
Marina del Rey The Dining Room
(The Ritz-Carlton, Marina
del Rey) 9th year
Santa Monica Valentino Restaurant 5th year
West Hollywood Diaghilev (Wyndham Bel Age
Hotel) 8th year
-- Orange County Hotels
Dana Point Blue Lantern Inn 9th year
Huntington Beach Waterfront Hilton Beach Resort 9th year
Irvine Hyatt Regency Irvine 7th year
Laguna Beach Surf & Sand Hotel 9th year
Newport Beach The Sutton Place Hotel 14th year
-- Orange County Restaurants
Dana Point The Club Grill & Bar
(The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna
Niguel) 4th year
The Dining Room
(The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna
Niguel) 9th year
Fullerton The Cellar 10th year
Irvine Chanteclair 10th year
Newport Beach Five Crowns 10th year
The Pavilion (Four Seasons
Hotel) 6th year
The Ritz 7th year
Santa Ana Antonello Ristorante 9th year
-- Riverside County Hotels
Indian Wells Hyatt Grand Champions Resort 13th year
Renaissance Esmeralda Resort 10th year
Miramonte Resort 2nd year
La Quinta Two Angels Inn 2nd year
Palm Desert Marriott's Desert Springs
Resort & Spa 13th year
Palm Springs Four Seasons Apartment Hotel 24th year
The Willows Historic Palm
Springs Inn 3rd year
Rancho Mirage Marriott's Rancho Las Palmas
Resort 21st year
The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho
Mirage 12th year
The Westin Mission Hills Resort 8th year
-- Riverside County Restaurants
La Quinta The La Quinta Grill 6th year
Palm Springs Le Vallauris 7th year
Rancho Mirage The Dining Room
(The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho
Mirage) 8th year
Wally's Desert Turtle 7th year
Riverside Duane's Prime Steaks & Seafood
(Mission Inn) 5th year
-- San Diego County Hotels
Borrego Springs La Casa Del Zorro Resort 7th year
Carlsbad La Costa Resort and Spa 24th year
Coronado Coronado Island Marriott
Resort 12th year
Hotel Del Coronado 5th year
Loews Coronado Bay Resort 8th year
Julian Orchard Hill Country Inn 4th year
La Jolla Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines 10th year
Hyatt Regency La Jolla 10th year
La Valencia Hotel 11th year
Rancho Bernardo Rancho Bernardo Inn 22nd year
Rancho Santa Fe Rancho Valencia Resort 10th year
San Diego Hyatt Regency San Diego 7th year
Pacific Terrace Inn 14th year
San Diego Marriott Hotel &
Marina 16th year
San Diego Hilton Beach &
Tennis Resort 22nd year
Wyndham Emerald Plaza 8th year
-- San Diego County Restaurants
Carlsbad Vivace
(Four Seasons Resort Aviara) 1st year
La Jolla Sky Room (La Valencia Hotel) 9th year
Rancho Bernardo El Bizcocho Restaurant
(Rancho Bernardo Inn) 10th year
Rancho Santa Fe Mille Fleurs 9th year
San Diego Baci's 8th year
Mister A's 6th year
-- San Luis Obispo County Hotels
Cambria Blue Whale Inn Bed & Breakfast 9th year
Cambria's Pelican Suites 1st year
Morro Bay Ascot Suites 1st year
Paso Robles Arbor Inn Bed & Breakfast 5th year
San Luis Obispo Apple Farm Inn 12th year
-- Santa Barbara County Hotels
Ballard The Ballard Inn 7th year
Los Olivos Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn 11th year
Santa Barbara Four Seasons Biltmore 14th year
Harbor View Inn 3rd year
Inn On Summer Hill 10th year
Solvang Petersen Village Inn 16th year
-- Santa Barbara County Restaurants
Santa Barbara La Marina
(Four Seasons Biltmore) 3rd 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.
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Contact:
Auto Club
Carol Thorp, Jeffrey Spring or Mona Ziada, 714/885-2333