ORLANDO, Fla. - Nov. 11, 2005 -- For the first time since 2001, AAA
has added more restaurants than lodgings to its list of Five Diamond Award
winners. The 2006 list includes seven additional restaurants and six more
lodgings, bringing the total number of Five Diamond properties to 150.
The 2006 list also includes two new properties each in Florida and California,
the only states to add more than one Five Diamond property to the list.
AAA rates nearly 57,000 restaurants and lodgings throughout all 50 states,
Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, providing the broadest coverage of any
U.S. rating system, both geographically and by number of properties rated.
New to the list in 2006 are The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota and The Ritz-Carlton,
Key Biscayne, both in Florida. California added a new restaurant, The French
Laundry in Yountville, and a new hotel, the Four Seasons Biltmore Santa
Barbara in Santa Barbara.
"Not since 2001 have new restaurants outnumbered new lodgings earning
the Five Diamond distinction," said Michael Petrone, director, AAA Tourism
Information Development and head of the AAA Diamond Ratings(R). "To their
great credit, these establishments have distinguished themselves from the
rest by providing a cutting edge culinary experience.
"Not surprisingly, the greatest numbers of Five Diamond restaurants
are in areas of high tourism. As a nation, we are becoming more enlightened
diners. Consumer demand is resulting in an emerging trend for more high
quality dining experiences in our travel and vacations," said Petrone.
Other notable facts about the 2006 list include:
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Only 0.26 percent (about one-quarter of one percent) of all rated properties
attained the exclusive Five Diamond level, AAA's highest rating.
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Only three properties have kept their Five Diamond ratings for 30 years:
The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colo.; The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs,
W.Va.; and Camelback Inn, Scottsdale, Ariz.
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The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch is the first new Five Diamond in Colorado
since The Little Nell was added 15 years ago.
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Florida has more Five Diamond restaurants than any other state (six).
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New York City and Chicago tie for the most Five Diamond restaurants in
any city (five each).
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California leads the list with the most Five Diamond lodgings (15) followed
by Florida with nine.
2006 AAA Five Diamond Lodgings
( - indicate consecutive years as a AAA Five Diamond
Award winner)
UNITED STATES
ARIZONA
The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa - 17
Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort & Spa - 30
The Phoenician - 2
Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North - 5
The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess - 15
CALIFORNIA
The Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows - 5
The Peninsula Beverly Hills - 13
Raffles L'Ermitage Beverly Hills - 5
Four Seasons Resort Aviara - 7
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel - 20
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay - 4
The Lodge at Torrey Pines - 4
Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills - 5
The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey - 14
The Island Hotel Newport Beach - 14
Chateau du Sureau - 12
The Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel & Spa - 3
The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco - 12
Four Seasons Biltmore Santa Barbara - 1
Simpson House Inn - 9
COLORADO
The Little Nell - 15
The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch - 1
The BROADMOOR - 30
CONNECTICUT
The Mayflower Inn & Spa - 10
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C. - 17
The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown - 2
The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, DC - 5
FLORIDA
The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island - 12
The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami - 3
The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne - 1
Mandarin Oriental, Miami - 4
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort - 3
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples - 19
The Breakers - 10
Ponte Vedra Inn and Club - 4
The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota - 1
GEORGIA
Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta - 7
The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta - 3
The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead - 20
The Lodge at Sea Island - 5
HAWAII
Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii - 4
The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua - 10
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu - 8
Four Seasons Resort, Maui at Wailea - 15
ILLINOIS
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago - 16
The Peninsula Chicago - 4
The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago (A Four Seasons Hotel) - 1
MASSACHUSETTS
Four Seasons Hotel Boston - 18
NEVADA
The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas - 3
Bellagio - 5
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas - 7
NEW YORK
Four Seasons Hotel New York - 12
Mandarin Oriental, New York - 1
The Peninsula New York - 7
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park - 4
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park - 4
The St. Regis New York - 12
NORTH CAROLINA
The Fearrington House Inn - 12
OHIO
Walden Country Inn & Stables - 2
PENNSYLVANIA
Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia - 22
The Rittenhouse Hotel and Condominium Residences - 15
The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia - 6
SOUTH CAROLINA
Wentworth Mansion - 3
Woodlands Resort & Inn - 9
TENNESSEE
The Hermitage Hotel - 3
TEXAS
The Mansion On Turtle Creek - 15
Four Seasons Hotel Houston - 11
Omni Houston Hotel - 6
The St. Regis Hotel, Houston - 5
Four Seasons Resort and Club - 3
UTAH
Stein Eriksen Lodge - 4
Grand America Hotel - 2
VIRGINIA
The Jefferson Hotel - 13
The Inn at Little Washington - 17
WASHINGTON
The Fairmont Olympic Hotel - 22
WEST VIRGINIA
The Greenbrier - 30
WISCONSIN
The American Club - 21
CANADA
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Pan Pacific Vancouver - 8
The Sutton Place Hotel - 17
CARIBBEAN
BARBADOS
Sandy Lane Hotel - 3
JAMAICA
The Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort, Rose Hall, Jamaica - 5
NEVIS
Four Seasons Resort Nevis - 4
MEXICO
BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR
Las Ventanas al Paraiso - 5
DISTRITO FEDERAL
Four Seasons Hotel Mexico D.F. - 10
NAYARIT
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Mexico - 5
QUINTANA ROO
Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach - 12
The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun - 11
Paraiso de la Bonita Resort and Thalasso - 2
2006 AAA Five Diamond Restaurants
( - indicate consecutive years as a AAA Five Diamond
Award winner)
UNITED STATES
ARIZONA
Marquesa (in The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess) - 15
Mary Elaine's - 7
The Ventana Room (in the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort) - 1
CALIFORNIA
The Belvedere (in The Peninsula Beverly Hills) - 11
Erna's Elderberry House Restaurant (in the Chateau du Sureau) - 10
The Dining Room (in The Ritz-Carton, San Francisco) - 10
Gary Danko - 3
The French Laundry - 1
FLORIDA
The Grill (in The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island) - 12
Victoria & Albert's (in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa)
- 6
Azul (in the Mandarin Oriental, Miami) - 4
Artisans in The Dining Room (in The Ritz-Carlton, Naples) - 7
L'Escalier - 5
The Restaurant at The Four Seasons (in the Four Seasons Resort, Palm
Beach) - 11
GEORGIA
The Dining Room (in the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead) - 17
Seeger's - 5
HAWAII
La Mer (in the Halekulani)- 16
ILLINOIS
Arun's - 4
Charlie Trotter's - 12
Everest - 10
Seasons Restaurant (in the Four Seasons Hotel, Chicago) - 6
Tru - 6
KENTUCKY
The Oakroom (in The Seelbach Hilton, Louisville - 8
MAINE
The White Barn Inn - 14
MASSACHUSETTS
Aujourd'hui (in the Four Seasons Hotel, Boston) - 11
L'Espalier - 7
Wheatleigh's Dining Room - 1
MICHIGAN
The 1913 Room (in the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel)- 4
NEVADA
Alex (in the Wynn Las Vegas) - 1
Le Cirque (in the Bellagio) - 3
Picasso (in the Bellagio) - 5
NEW JERSEY
The Dining Room (in the Hilton Short Hills) - 13
NEW YORK
Alain Ducasse at The Essex House - 5
Atelier (in the Ritz-Carlton, New York, Central Park) - 3
Aureole - 9
Daniel - 7
Jean Georges Restaurant (in the Trump International Hotel & Tower)
- 8
NORTH CAROLINA
The Fearrington House Restaurant (in the Fearrington House Inn) - 11
OHIO
Classics (in the InterContinental Hotel & Conference Center) -
2
PENNSYLVANIA
Fountain Restaurant (in the Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia)- 12
Le Bec-Fin - 18
SOUTH CAROLINA
The Dining Room at Woodlands (in the Woodlands Resort & Inn)- 10
TEXAS
The French Room (in The Adolphus) - 17
The Mansion On Turtle Creek Restaurant (in The Mansion on Turtle Creek)
- 17
VIRGINIA
Maestro (in The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner)- 3
Lemaire (in The Jefferson Hotel) - 11
The Inn at Little Washington Dining Room (in The Inn at Little Washington
- 18
WASHINGTON
The Herbfarm Restaurant - 4
CANADA
ALBERTA
Eden (in the Rimrock Resort Hotel) - 3
The Banffshire Club (in the Fairmont Banff Springs) - 3
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Five Sails Restaurant (in the Pan Pacific Vancouver) - 11
Lumiere - 2
ONTARIO
Langdon Hall Dining Room & Terrace (in the Langdon Hall Country
House Hotel & Spa) - 2
Signatures @ Le Cordon Bleu Paris - 1
Truffles (in the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto) - 12
QUEBEC
Le Baccara - 6
Toque! - 1
Nuances - 6
La salle a manger l'Auberge Hatley (in the Auberge Hatley Relais &
Chateaux) - 6
CARIBBEAN
BERMUDA
The Newport Room (in The Fairmont Southampton) - 2
MEXICO
QUINTANA ROO
Fantino (in the Ritz-Carlton, Cancun) - 1
The Club Grill (in the Ritz-Carlton, Cancun) - 8
To be considered for AAA rating and approval, restaurants and lodgings
must undergo a thorough inspection by one of AAA's 65 full-time, trained,
professional evaluators. Five Diamond establishments go through more extensive
inspections and final committee review. AAA evaluates nearly 57,000 properties
and publishes their ratings in the AAA TourBooks(R), on Internet TripTik
at www.aaa.com, and in part on www.AAAmaps.com. For more information about
AAA Diamond Ratings visit www.aaa.com/Diamonds.
AAA first started listing accommodation information in its travel publications
in the early 1900s. In 1937, the first field inspectors were hired to inspect
hotels, motels, and restaurants. In 1963, AAA began to rate all accommodations
as good, very good excellent or outstanding. The current AAA Diamond Ratings(R)
system was introduced in 1977 and continues to be recognized as the trusted
leader of quality ratings for North American restaurants and lodgings.
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