Carolina Inn and Carolina Crossroads Restaurant Awarded AAA Four Diamond Rating

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. January 25, 2011

CHAPEL HILL, NC - JANUARY 14, 2011 - The Carolina Inn and Carolina Crossroads Restaurant have been awarded the esteemed AAA Four Diamond lodging and restaurant designations. The Carolina Inn has maintained the AAA Four Diamond rating for fourteen consecutive years, since 1997, and Carolina Crossroads Restaurant for nine consecutive years, since 2002.

Lodgings at this level feature upscale accommodations. They typically offer an extensive array of amenities combined with a high degree of hospitality, service, and attention to detail. Restaurants at this level offer a distinctive fine-dining experience. Their offerings are typically distinguished by high-quality ingredients, creative presentation, and attentive service.

The Carolina Inn and Carolina Crossroads Restaurant are part of a select group within the hospitality industry. For 2011, 1,349 lodgings and 756 restaurants received the Four Diamond Rating. These 2,105 establishments account for just 3.6 percent of the total 59,000 AAA Approved and Diamond Rated lodgings and restaurants across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

“We are honored to receive the valued AAA Four Diamond Rating,” said Shawn Gracey, General Manager. “At The Carolina Inn we are committed to providing excellent hospitality and memorable accommodations and dining experiences that exceeds guest expectations. The Four Diamond Rating acknowledges the hard work and dedication of our staff.”

“Four Diamond establishments consistently deliver attentive service and notable offerings in high-quality, comfortable surroundings,” said Michael Petrone, AAA director of Tourism Information Development. “To achieve and maintain exceptional standards on a daily basis is a commendable achievement. AAA is pleased to recognize The Carolina Inn and Carolina Crossroads Restaurant as an outstanding member of the hospitality industry.”

About The Carolina Inn

Recognized as one of America's “cultural resources worthy of preservation,” The Carolina Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places with elite status as a AAA Four Diamond Award Hotel and a AAA Four Diamond and Forbes Four-Star Award-Winning Dining at the Carolina Crossroads Restaurant. From the day it opened in 1924, the 185-room Inn has played an important role in the life of the University of North Carolina and the Chapel Hill community. As one of only four hotels in North Carolina built before 1925 to remain in continuous operation, it has long been one of the most popular sites in North Carolina for special events, weddings, business meetings, and academic conferences with over 13,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. In addition to having a rich cultural history, The Carolina Inn is architecturally significant, blending elements of antebellum Southern plantation houses with Georgian and neoclassical features often found in the Northeast. The original front of the building was modeled after the Potomac River front of Mt. Vernon. The Carolina Inn is one of more than 35 independent, upscale and luxury hotels, resorts and golf clubs in the United States managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts, the fourth largest independent hospitality management company in the country.

About AAA Diamond Ratings

AAA began field inspections of lodgings and restaurants in 1937 and introduced a formal rating system for accommodations in 1963. The early rating system evolved into the Diamond Rating System for lodgings in 1976 and was rolled out for restaurants between 1986 and 1991. Professionally trained AAA/CAA inspectors use published guidelines to evaluate and rate properties as a service to members.

AAA rates more properties than any other rating entity and is the only rating system that covers the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. It is one of only two that conduct physical, on-site evaluations. AAA/CAA Approved lodgings and restaurants are assigned a rating of One to Five Diamonds. For more information about Diamond Ratings and a complete list of Four and Five Diamond Lodging and Restaurants, visit AAA.com/News.

To be eligible for evaluation, lodgings must meet basic requirements for cleanliness, comfort and security, and restaurants must meet basic requirements for cleanliness, food preparation and service. Those that pass inspection during an unannounced evaluation are designated as a AAA Approved lodging and restaurant. Finally, the inspector assigns a rating of One to Five Diamonds based on the extensiveness of services, facilities and amenities — from basic, no-frills lodgings and restaurants to luxurious, world-class accommodations and dining. The ratings help travelers choose establishments suited to their needs and expectations.

Travelers can access AAA/CAA Diamond Ratings and Inspector Notes in the printed TourBook guides, eTourBook guides and online at AAA.com using the searchable listings, TripTik Travel Planner or AAA Mobile Web. Plus, those with an Apple iPhone can now access AAA's travel information on the go with the free AAA TripTik® Mobile app. AAA TripTik Mobile uses GPS technology to display AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants near a user's location.