Six Hotels Added to AAA Five Diamond Winners for 2006
ORLANDO, FL, November 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:
Only 0.26 percent (about one-quarter of one percent) of all rated properties attained the exclusive Five Diamond level, AAA's highest rating.
Only three properties have kept their Five Diamond ratings for 30 years: The Broadmoor, Boulder, Colo.; The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.; and Camelback Inn, Scottsdale, Ariz.
The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch is the first new Five Diamond in Colorado since The Little Nell was added 15 years ago.
Florida has more Five Diamond restaurants than any other state (six).
New York City and Chicago tie for the most Five Diamond restaurants in any city (five each).
California leads the list with the most Five Diamond lodgings (15) followed by Florida with nine.
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