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AAA Diamonds: Travel With Someone You Trust®
More than just a typical rating system, Diamond designations reflect the type of experience a property offers so you can choose the right hotel for every trip. Whether it's an overnight stop, a family vacation or a special-occasion splurge, Diamonds offer guidance at a glance to make your travel planning easier.
For more than 80 years, our unscheduled annual hotel inspections have included a detailed look at a property’s quality, cleanliness and condition. Diamond inspections are conducted by trained experts who evaluate the guest experience with consistent, objective criteria.
Star reviews are subjective opinions, often left by guests motivated to leave a review because they were pleased or disappointed by some element of their stay. As a result, any property can have stars, but Diamond designations hold hotels to a standard, so you get the service and amenities you expect at every Diamond level.
AAA Diamonds Are Now Inspected Clean
Now more than ever, you want peace of mind when choosing where to stay. We’ve enhanced our inspections with ATP surface testing, the same technology used to verify cleanliness in the healthcare and food service industries. Inspected Clean hotels have passed inspections with ATP surface testing so you can rest assured your room is as clean as possible.
- All AAA Diamond hotels that have been ATP surface tested will have the “Inspected Clean” digital badge next to the Diamond designation in their listing.
- Inspectors will measure 8 surfaces in randomly selected guest rooms and bathrooms during each inspection. Each property must achieve AAA’s acceptable surface testing pass rate of 75% or more.
- This new step in AAA’s trusted inspection process gives you scientific validation that hotel cleaning protocols are effective.
Hotels
Diamond Designations for Hotels:
Quality of Experience, Range of Amenities and Level of Hospitality
AAA's 62 million members book more than 31% of all paid room nights in North America, and they rely on our assurance that every Diamond-designated property has met our standards for guest quality, cleanliness and condition.
For more than 80 years, our team of professional inspectors have conducted unannounced, independent, in-person property inspections across 26,000 hotel properties in North America.
Noteworthy by meeting the industry-leading standards of AAA inspections. Great for: Budget-friendly short stays
Comprehensive amenities style and comfort level. Great for: Family travel
Upscale style and amenities with the right touch of service. Great for: A romantic getaway
World-class luxury, amenities and indulgence for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Great for: The ultimate in relaxation
Watch video to learn more about the AAA Hotel Diamond Designations.
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Restaurants
Diamond Designations for Restaurants:
Quality of Experience, Range of Amenities, and Level of Hospitality
Restaurants must pass an on-site evaluation with 13 minimum requirements to be approved as a Diamond property. There are 57 elements included in the score that determines a property’s Diamond level.
Noteworthy by meeting the industry-leading standards of AAA inspections.
Trendy food skillfully presented in a remarkable setting.
Distinctive fine dining, well-serviced amid upscale ambience.
Leading-edge cuisine, ingredients and preparation with extraordinary service and surroundings.
Watch video to learn more about the AAA Restaurant Diamond Designations.
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Diamond Designations for Hotels
Featured Diamonds Hotels
Discover the rich insight AAA’s professional inspectors offer travelers – from details on room, bath and public areas to special badges for exceptional offerings. Check out the Inspector Notes and traveler reviews for insider views on factors that define the way you travel.
Diamond Articles & Videos
Enjoy a peek behind the curtain to see what it’s like to be a AAA inspector. Read their fascinating bios and tweets … find out which properties impress even these picky travelers … follow along on actual inspections … and hear why hotel and restaurant managers value the Diamonds and AAA/CAA members.
Featured ArticleHow to Pick the Best Hotel for Your Trip
Testimonial Videos
Meet the Experts
Inspector Shadows
Inspections History
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