CHARLOTTE (JAN. 25, 2016) – AAA Carolinas honored five hotels and two restaurants at the North and South Carolina AAA Five Diamond awards dinner at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island on January 17, 2016.
The Five Diamond rating is the top designation awarded each year by AAA to an elite group of qualified hotels and restaurants after an anonymous overnight visit or dining experience by fulltime specially trained inspectors. Only 0.4 percent of the nearly 28,000 AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotels results in a Five Diamond rating.
North Carolina winners, with the number of years won, are:
Herons Restaurant (5 years) in CaryThe Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte (6 years) in CharlotteThe Umstead Hotel & Spa (9 years) in CaryThe Fearrington House Inn (22 years) in PittsboroThe Fearrington House Restaurant (21 years) in Pittsboro
South Carolina winners, with the number of years won, are:
The Inn at Palmetto Bluff (4 years) in BlufftonThe Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort (9 years)
“AAA Five Diamond lodgings and hotels offer the highest level of hospitality in the most luxurious surroundings,” said David E. Parsons, president and CEO of AAA Carolinas.
“These properties are unique, enticing and extraordinary – complemented by an extensive array of personalized services that consistently exceed the expectations of even the most refined traveler”
AAA gives the Five Diamond Awards annually to qualified hotels and restaurants in North America. In 2016, only 89 properties in North America earned the Five Diamond rating.
Lodgings include eight different classifications, such as bed and breakfast, hotel, cottage and country inn with four sub-classifications such as historic, classic, resort and casino. Restaurants include more than 100 categories based on cuisine and ambiance. Each restaurant and lodging that receives any level of diamond rating from AAA is listed in AAA’s TourBooks, which are distributed for free to any of the organization’s 53 million members nationwide.
AAA Carolinas, an affiliate of the American Automobile Association, is a not-for-profit organization that serves more than 1.9 million members and the public with travel, automobile and insurance services while being an advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.
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