THUNDER BAY – At the beginning of this year, the AAA unveiled that a grand total of 121 hotels and 63 restaurants had earned the prestigious Five Diamond Rating over the course of the last 12 months. These establishments earned a coveted place on the 2015 Five Diamonds Award list, while they represent just 0.3% of more than 58,000 AAA/CAA Approved Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants. This offers an insight into the scope and complexity of the Five Diamond system, which should be an influential factor in helping travellers to make an informed selection of accommodation.
An introduction to the Five Diamond System
As a general rule, attempting to compare star ratings with countries around the globe is often fruitless exercise, however the new latest resource dubbed the ‘Hotel Rating Guide’ has made this step a little bit easier. Hotel ratings are governed by each individual country and in most instances demanding only voluntary participation. Countries such as Thailand are struggling to create a universally applied ranking system; the process of identifying viable accommodation is something of a minefield for travellers.
So while hotel rankings in Europe and the majority of other developed nations are defined by arbitrarily awarded stars, those forward-thinking travellers in America have determined a new and innovative scale. This is the contrary Diamond Standard, which was developed and has subsequently been managed by the American Automobile Association (AAA). This body despatches professional reviewers and industry experts to inspect any establishments that apply, and these individuals subsequently rank these outlets on a one to five diamond scale.
What is the difference between Diamonds and Stars?
It is too simple to claim that the AAA have simply replaced stars with diamonds, however, as in fact this system operates on an entirely different premise. Essentially, any hotel or restaurant that receives a diamond award offers outstanding service, with the number of diamonds simply indicative of the overall level of luxury provided. So while a one diamond hotel can be described as an economy outlet, travellers can rest assured that they will enjoy excellent service and comfort (albeit within a simple and rustic room).
This negates many of the issues with budget travel, as one of the key concerns people have is that they will cut costs by booking a so-called one star hotel only to find that it significantly lacks in suitable location, facilities and catering,