Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis

Orlando, Fla. - 11/14/2008
California leads the list with four 2009 additions, Florida now has twice as many Five Diamond lodgings as New York

AAA has announced the 2009 AAA Five Diamond Award winners. Ten establishments have been added for a total of 103 hotels and 59 restaurants that have achieved Five Diamond status, the travel authoritys highest rating for hotels and restaurants.

For 2009, six hotels were added to the list: The Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows, Beverly Hills, Calif.; Montage Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach, Calif.; Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, Westlake Village, Calif.; The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, Manalapan, Fla.; InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, Atlanta; and Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis, St. Louis.
The four dining additions are Addison, San Diego; Chef Mavro, Honolulu; Restaurant Guy Savoy, Las Vegas; and The Pavilion Antigua, New Winthorpes, Antigua.

Representing the upper echelon of the hospitality industry, AAA Five Diamond Award winners make up just 0.28 percent of the 58,000 Diamond Rated lodgings and restaurants throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

The ability to achieve and maintain the highest level of hospitality in the most luxurious surroundings is what the Five Diamond rating is all about. AAA is pleased to honor these establishments, said Michael Petrone, director of AAA Tourism Information Development. The physical attributes of these properties are unique, enticing and extraordinary " complemented by an extensive array of personalized services for every guest, which consistently exceeds the expectations of even the most refined traveler.

Noteworthy for 2009:
*Florida has gained one Five Diamond lodging for a total of ten now, twice the number of Five Diamond lodgings in New York.
*The Pavilion Antigua restaurant marks the first Five Diamond establishment for this Caribbean island.
*California has added more new Five Diamond establishments than any other state or province. Three additional lodgings and one restaurant bring the totals to 19 and 7, respectively. California continues to lead with the most Five Diamond lodgings and now ties Illinois for the most Five Diamond restaurants.
*The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., and Camelback Inn, a JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz., have maintained a Five Diamond Rating for 33 consecutive years " since the hotel Diamond Ratings were first published in the AAA TourBook guides.
*The Inn at Little Washington Dining Room in Washington, Va., is the only restaurant to maintain Five Diamond status for 21 consecutive years " since the Diamond Ratings were first applied to restaurants.
*Two lodgings celebrate a quarter-century of Five Diamond status: The Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle and the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia in Philadelphia.

The assignment of a AAA rating of One to Five Diamonds marks the completion of a successful annual evaluation. All properties must first meet AAAs rigorous requirements to become AAA Approved establishments.

AAAs Diamond Rating System is the only ratings system that covers all of North America and one of only two that conducts physical, on-site evaluations. It is the only system that uses full-time, professionally trained evaluators to inspect each property on an annual basis using a set of guidelines that are made available to all establishments. AAA evaluates more properties than any other rating entity. Additionally, AAA provides travelers the opportunity to post comments about their experiences at AAA Approved and Diamond Rated establishments at AAA.com. Information about AAA Diamond Ratings and the complete 2009 Five Diamond Award winners lists are accessible at AAA.com/News.

As North Americas largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at www.AAA.com

Contact: Heather Hunter
Email: hhunter@national.aaa.com
Phone: 407-444-8005