Santa Barbara Establishments Earn 2012 AAA Four Diamond Award

Eighty-five Southern California hotels and 37 restaurants have earned the 2012 AAA Four Diamond Award®, the Automobile Club of Southern California announced today. Included are 10 Santa Barbara County hotels and restaurants that earned the rating. The Hotel Corque earned its first AAA Four Diamond Award.

The coveted AAA Four Diamond Award is presented to hotel and restaurant general managers and executive chefs to recognize the award-winning properties, which rank among the top 3.8 percent of 59,000 hotels and restaurants inspected by the AAA and the Auto Club, the nation’s largest AAA affiliate.

“Four Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants are committed to providing every guest with a high level of personalized service in comfortable, luxurious surroundings,” said the Auto Club’s Approved Accommodations Supervisor Patricia Marenco. “We are proud to recognize Southern California’s hotels and restaurants that earn the AAA Four Diamond rating. To maintain a very high standard of personalized service in their hotels and restaurants in order to continue pleasing their guests is a significant accomplishment.”

The list of 2012 AAA Four Diamond hotels and restaurants follows, along with the year rated:

Santa Barbara County Hotels

In Santa Barbara:

• Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort by Hilton (2006)
• Harbor View Inn (1997)
• Inn On Summer Hill (1990)

In Santa Ynez:

• Chumash Casino Resort & Spa (2004)
• Santa Ynez Inn (2002)

In Solvang:

• Hotel Corque (2011)
• Petersen Village Inn (1984)
• The Ballard Inn (1993)

Santa Barbara County Restaurants

In Santa Ynez:

• The Willows (Chumash Casino Resort & Spa; 2005)

In Solvang:

• The Ballard Inn Restaurant (The Ballard Inn; 2005)

AAA’s Diamond rating program is the only hotel and restaurant review system in the nation that uses specially trained full-time field representatives. As part of AAA’s national network, the Auto Club’s own staff reviews establishments in Southern California without prior notification using objective and detailed rating procedures.

Lodging inspections include at least one unannounced inspection each year. Inspectors review and rate exterior, grounds and public areas, room décor, ambiance and amenities, guest rooms, bathrooms, housekeeping and maintenance, management and staff and guest services. Once the inspection process is complete, properties that meet all requirements receive a rating of one to five Diamonds.

AAA approves and rates more than 59,000 lodgings and restaurants each year throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotel and restaurant listings can be found in the AAA TourBook® guides available at AAA and CAA branches across the continent. They can be accessed online at AAA.com/Travel and through downloadable eTourBookSM guides at AAA.com/ebooks. Smartphone users can locate Diamond Rated establishments using the free AAA TripTik® Mobile app or AAA Mobile Web at AAA.com/mobile.