Defining AAA Diamonds

Hotel & Motel Management Magazine has done a great job in communicating to hoteliers how the AAA Diamond rating works. For the consumer, the chart above should help understand the differences AAA looks for when issuing diamonds to hotels.

Remember a time a couple of years ago when it was "hit or miss" as to whether a hotel's diamond rating indicated whether it had high speed wireless Internet, or whether the bedding was comfortable or hard as a rock? Apparently, given new criteria being evaluated by American Automobile Association inspectors, knowing exactly what you can expect from a hotel bearing any given rating will soon become easier.

There's a great article written by Hotel & Motel Management writer Stacey Mieyal Higgins back in August, 2006, which explains what tourism editors for AAA look for when they evaluate hotels in an area or around the country.

According to the February 18, 2008 issue of Hotel & Motel Management Magazine, AAA, in response to the "residential trend" that's been highly evident in the hotel industry since 2001, has updated its Diamond Rating Guidelines.

Overall, the Diamond Ratings themselves didn't change. It seems that some terminology has, especially with regard to references to bedding, technology, and residential designs. Inspectors are now looking at furniture, bed linens, flooring, and wallcoverings and noting whether they convey a residential or industrial feel.