Southern California Hotels and Restaurants Receive 2002 AAA Four Diamond Award; Disney's Grand Californian Receives First-Year Honors; Rancho Bernardo Inn Hits 25 Year Mark
LOS ANGELES--Oct. 24, 2001--Fifty-two Southern California hotels and 32 restaurants have earned the AAA 2002 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 a profound effort and extraordinary accomplishment by a hotel or restaurant. It's a demonstration of the hotel or restaurant's ability to perform grand and small gestures with superior service and high quality," said the Auto Club's Approved Accommodations Manager Clarence Garlough. "More than 44 million AAA members and the public depend on the Diamond ratings in the AAA TourBooks(R) to help them with their travel decisions. This award signifies that a property has met AAA's objective rating criteria and met levels of excellence during an extensive unannounced inspection. This year's crop of Four Diamond properties reflect a high degree of hospitality and attention to detail."
Hotels and restaurants honored with a Four Diamond Award for 2002 and the number of consecutive years each property has earned the award follow:
-- Inyo/Mono Counties Hotel
Death Valley Furnace Creek Inn 15th year
-- Inyo/Mono Counties Restaurant
Bridgeport Restaurant 1881 1st year
-- Los Angeles County Hotels
Beverly Hills Beverly Hilton 21st year
Regent Beverly Wilshire 9th year
Glendale Hilton Hotel Glendale 2nd year
Los Angeles Century Plaza Hotel & Spa 19th year
Hotel Bel-Air 25th year
Hotel Sofitel 13th year
Hyatt Regency Los Angeles 12th year
Park Hyatt Los Angeles at
Century City 14th year
St. Regis Hotel Los
Angeles 1st year
Pasadena Doubletree Hotel-Pasadena 12th year
The Ritz-Carlton Huntington
Hotel & Spa 11th year
Santa Monica Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel 13th year
Shutters On The Beach 9th year
West Hollywood Sunset Marquis Hotel & Villas 16th year
-- Los Angeles County Restaurants
Beverly Hills The Dining Room 7th year
(Regent Beverly Wilshire)
Calabasas Saddle Peak Lodge 5th year
Glendale Gennaro's Ristorante 2nd year
Los Angeles Gardens (Four Seasons Hotel) 7th year
Patina 11th year
The Restaurant (Hotel Bel-Air) 4th year
L'Orangerie 1st year
The Carafe 11th year
Marina del Rey jer-ne restaurant 1st year
Santa Monica Valentino Restaurant 7th year
West Hollywood Diaghilev
(Wyndham Bel Age Hotel) 10th year
-- Orange County Hotels
Anaheim Disney's Grand Californian 1st year
Dana Point Blue Lantern Inn 11th year
Huntington Beach Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort 11th year
Laguna Beach Surf & Sand Hotel 11th year
-- Orange County Restaurants
Dana Point The Club Grill & Bar 6th year
(The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel)
Fullerton The Cellar 12th year
Irvine Chanteclair 12th year
Newport Beach Five Crowns 12th year
Aubergine 1st year
The Pavilion (Four Seasons Hotel)8th year
The Ritz Restaurant & Garden 9th year
Santa Ana Antonello Ristorante 11th year
-- Riverside County Hotels
Indian Wells Hyatt Grand Champions Resort 15th year
Palm Desert Marriott's Desert Springs
Resort & Spa 15th year
Palm Springs The Willows Historic Palm
Springs Inn 5th year
Rancho Mirage The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage 14th year
The Westin Mission Hills Resort 10th year
-- Riverside County Restaurants
La Quinta The La Quinta Grill 8th year
Palm Springs Le Vallauris 9th year
Rancho Mirage The Dining Room 10th year
(The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage)
Wally's Desert Turtle 9th year
Riverside Duane's Prime Steaks & Seafood 7th year
(Mission Inn)
-- San Bernardino County Hotel
Big Bear Lake Alpenhorn Bed & Breakfast 2nd year
-- San Diego County Hotels
Borrego Springs La Casa Del Zorro Resort 9th year
Carlsbad La Costa Resort and Spa 25th year
Coronado Coronado Island Marriott Resort 14th year
Hotel Del Coronado 7th year
Loews Coronado Bay Resort 10th year
Julian Orchard Hill Country Inn 6th year
La Jolla Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines 12th year
Hyatt Regency La Jolla 12th year
La Valencia Hotel 13th year
Rancho Bernardo Rancho Bernardo Inn 25th year
Rancho Santa Fe Rancho Valencia Resort 12th year
San Diego Hyatt Regency San Diego 9th year
San Diego Marriott
Hotel & Marina 18th year
Hilton San Diego Resort 23rd year
Wyndham San Diego
Emerald Plaza 10th year
-- San Diego County Restaurants
Carlsbad Vivace 3rd year
(Four Seasons Resort Aviara)
La Jolla George's at the Cove 2nd year
Sky Room (La Valencia Hotel) 11th year
Rancho Bernardo El Bizcocho Restaurant 12th year
(Rancho Bernardo Inn)
Rancho Santa Fe Mille Fleurs 11th year
San Diego Bertrand at Mister A's 8th year
-- San Luis Obispo County Hotels
Cambria Blue Whale Inn Bed & Breakfast 11th year
Pelican Suites 3rd year
Morro Bay Ascot Suites 3rd year
Paso Robles SummerWood Inn 7th year
San Luis Obispo Apple Farm Inn 14th year
-- Santa Barbara County Hotels
Ballard The Ballard Inn 9th year
Los Olivos Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn
& Spa 13th year
Santa Barbara Four Seasons Biltmore 16th year
Harbor View Inn 5th year
Inn On Summer Hill 12th year
Bacara Resort & Spa 1st year
Solvang Petersen Village Inn 18th year
-- Santa Barbara County Restaurants
Santa Barbara La Marina 5th year
(Four Seasons Biltmore)
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 objective and detailed rating procedures.
Lodging inspections include at least one unannounced inspection and one overnight visit each year. Inspectors review and rate exterior, grounds and public areas, room decor, ambiance and amenities, guest room, bathrooms, housekeeping and maintenance, management and staff and guest services. Once the inspection process is complete, properties that meet all requirements receive 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 13 classifications, ranging from facilities that offer limited services to those offering full services. Fewer than 3 percent of the estimated 25,000 AAA-rated lodgings and less than 4 percent of the estimated 11,000 restaurants attain Four Diamond status. Approximately 60 percent of all lodging facilities in the nation qualify for a One to Five Diamond rating. Five Diamond hotels and restaurants 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 roadside assistance, insurance services, travel agency, financial products, automotive pricing, buying and financing programs, automotive testing and analysis, trip planning services, and highway and transportation safety programs. Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club's Web site at www.aaa-calif.com.