155 Florida Hotels Receive AAA’s Highest Ratings

Congratulations are in order! Florida is home to 155 of AAA’s highest rated hotels in North America, according to the latest round of AAA Diamond Ratings. If you are like many travelers, you probably check ratings and reviews on a hotel before you reserve a room. While there are many rating sites to choose from, AAA’s is the most respected in the hospitality industry.

For more than 80 years, AAA has sent professional inspectors to hotels and restaurants across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Properties are rated on a scale of one to five Diamonds, based on a variety of guidelines for cleanliness, comfort and hospitality. More Diamonds means higher overall quality, range of facilities and level of services offered by the property. AAA announced this year’s list of hotels and resorts that earned the coveted Four and Five Diamond designations.

Five Diamond Hotels

A total of 121 hotels throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean received the AAA Five Diamond Rating. Ten of those are in Florida. The Sunshine State is third among states with the greatest number of Five Diamond hotels. The top two are California (16) and New York (11).

BAL HARBOUR

St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort

FERNANDINA BEACH

The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

FORT LAUDERDALE

The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale

LAKE BUENA VISTA

Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort

MANALAPAN

Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa

NAPLES

The Ritz-Carlton, Naples

PALM BEACH

Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach

The Breakers, Palm Beach

PONTE VEDRA BEACH

Ponte Vedra Inn & Club

SUNNY ISLES BEACH

Acqualina Resort & Spa on the Beach

Four Diamond Hotels

A total of 1,676 hotels received the Four Diamond Rating. Florida has 145 Four Diamond hotels, which is second-most, behind California which has 173. Click here to view the full list of AAA Four Diamond hotels.

Finding Diamond-Rated Properties

To search Diamond Rated properties, go to AAA.com/hotels or download the free AAA Mobile App on your smartphone. You can sort results based on hotels that are pet friendly, have free internet, free breakfast, an airport shuttle, and more. AAA Members can also use the app to view dining options, request roadside assistance, compare nearby gas prices, and locate retailers that offer member discounts.

To be AAA Approved:

• Properties must pass an unannounced, on-site evaluation. Hotels must provide acceptable cleanliness, comfort and hospitality; and restaurants must meet requirements for cleanliness, food preparation and service.
• During on-site evaluations, inspectors check everything including lobby décor and guestroom bedding at hotels, to food presentation and service attributes at restaurants.
• Inspectors follow AAA’s comprehensive, published Approval Requirements & Diamond Rating Guidelines for Hotels and Restaurants, which are periodically updated to reflect current member priorities and industry trends.
• After an establishment is “Approved”, the AAA inspector reviews an extensive list of attributes to determine the appropriate rating level, on a scale of One to Five Diamonds, based on the extensiveness of services, facilities and amenities.