Last Friday, 113 hotels and resorts in North America were presented with AAA's Five Diamond Award. Then, on Monday, Forbes Travel Guide (formerly Mobil Travel Guide) announced the 54 lodgings in the USA, Canada, Caribbean and Mexico that received five-star status.
Of the lodgings that earned both awards, one chain was honored nine times: The Four Seasons properties in Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; Palm Beach, Fla.; Kailua-Kona, Hawaii; Maui, Hawaii; Chicago, Ill.; Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.; and Jackson Hole, Wyo. each picked up the pair of prizes.
California had the most dual-ranked hotels, with six winning a Five Diamond Award as well as achieving 5 star status: The Beverly Hills Hotel; Chateau du Sureau, Oakhurst; The Peninsula Beverly Hills; Raffles L'Ermitage, Beverly Hills; St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach; and The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco.
Not surprisingly, New York is also prime spot for top-ranked hotels, with four making both lists. The Four Seasons Hotel, Mandarin Oriental, The Peninsula, and The Ritz-Carlton Central Park were all winners.
In Nevada, The Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand, and Wynn Las Vegas swept both awards.
Both AAA and Forbes use rigid checklists to evaluate properties. For over 50 years, Forbes has evaluated hundred of standards at each hotel or resort. AAA has been surveying hotels since 1937, and currently employs 65 full-time, professionally trained inspectors who assess properties based on a full range of criteria – from cleanliness and service to décor and amenities.
Bjorn Hanson, a former PricewaterhouseCoopers hotel analyst told USA Today that more hotels won this year than usual because both AAA and Forbes are letting their inspectors be more flexible. However, Hanson also told the publication that AAA and Forbes offer "a more consistent basis for comparison" when compared to travel website such as TripAdvisor.com.