AAA Five Diamond Award

The AAA Five Diamond Award is the highest level of the AAA Diamond Ratings System for lodgings and restaurants administered by AAA (formerly known as the American Automobile Association). 

This award is only given to luxury properties with first-class design, amenities, and hospitality services after they pass unannounced, in-person inspections of their quality, cleanliness, and condition. As of 2023, there are only 131 Five Diamond hotels on the list.

The AAA Diamond Ratings System is similar to the globally recognized 5 Star classification system, rating hotels in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It’s a five-tiered assessment approach, in which the hotel must first meet 27 basic requirements to become approved. Then anonymous raters inspect the property and assign a Diamond rating from one to five.

For restaurants to be approved as a Diamond property, an on-site evaluation is held with 13 minimum requirements. Then 57 elements are assessed to determine the Diamond level.

Such rating systems help people identify the level of services and know what to expect from a hotel or restaurant during their visit.