PORTLAND, Ore., – Three restaurants and 17 hotels in Oregon have received the coveted AAA Four Diamond designation for 2020. This is the 84th year AAA is out with its list of the top hotels and restaurants that earned the Four or Five Diamond Rating during the past 12 months.
The AAA Diamond ratings evaluate the largest number of hotels and restaurants of any rating system, using professionally trained inspectors and published guidelines to conduct annual unannounced hotel and restaurant evaluations.
“These days anyone can post a review online. The AAA Diamond Ratings are different from all the other reviews and rating systems. We’re the only ones to use professional inspectors who conduct unannounced visits at some 60,000 properties every year to make sure they provide the best experience for travelers and diners,” says Marie Dodds, public affairs director for AAA Oregon/Idaho. “Four and Five Diamond hotels and restaurants provide extraordinary service and surroundings, and deliver world-class experiences.”
AAA Four Diamond hotels and restaurants, which represent just 4.2 percent of the total, are an exclusive group. They must be refined and stylish with upscale physical attributes, extensive amenities and a high degree of hospitality, service and attention to detail. This year, there are 1,718 Four Diamond hotels and 682 Four Diamond restaurants, including 125 new hotels and 62 new restaurants.
Oregon hotels receiving the AAA Four Diamond Rating are:
(The year listed by each establishment indicates the year the property first received the current, consecutively maintained Diamond rating)
BEND
The Oxford Hotel (2010)
DEPOE BAY
Whale Cove Inn (2011)
EUGENE
Inn at the 5th (2012)
GOLD BEACH
Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge (1976) (to-TOO-ten Lodge)
NEWBERG
The Allison Inn & Spa (2010)
PACIFIC CITY
Headlands Coastal Lodge and Spa (2018)
PORTLAND
The Benson Hotel (2019)
Dossier Hotel (2000)
The Heathman Hotel (1985)
Kimpton Hotel Monaco Portland (1997)
Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel (1986)
The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel (2009)
The Porter Portland, Curio Collection by Hilton (2018)
Portland’s White House (2019)
Sentinel (formerly the Governor Hotel) (2001)
SISTERS
FivePine Lodge & Spa (2011)
SUNRIVER
Sunriver Resort (1999)
- Four Diamond hotels are noted for upscale style and amenities enhanced with the right touch of service.
- Click here for AAA Inspector Notes for the AAA Four Diamond hotels in Oregon
- The Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge in Gold Beach is one of only 11 hotels that have maintained the Four Diamond Rating for 44 consecutive years, since 1976 when the Diamond Ratings were first introduced for hotels.
- An additional 164 hotels including The Heathman Hotel and Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel in Portland have maintained the Four Diamond Rating for 25 or more years.
Oregon restaurants receiving the AAA/CAA Four Diamond Rating are:
(The year listed by each establishment indicates the year the property first received the current, consecutively maintained Diamond rating.)
LINCOLN CITY
The Bay House (2015)
NEWBERG
The Painted Lady (2011)
PORTLAND
Castagna (2016)
- Four Diamond restaurants offer distinctive fine dining, excellent service and upscale ambience. Creative preparations are skillfully served, often with a wine steward.
- Click here for AAA Inspector Notes for the AAA Four Diamond restaurants in Oregon.
- Inspectors evaluate cleanliness, food, ingredients, preparation, dishware, décor, service, seating, waiting areas, reservations, management and staff, overall impression and other characteristics. The intent is to capture the essence of the total dining experience. AAA members consider the quality of the food and service to be the most significant factors when eating out — and décor to be less important in defining their dining experience. Therefore, we assign the highest weight (85% of the overall Diamond Rating) to food and service elements — with décor making up just 15% of the rating
- A total of 682 restaurants throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean received the Four Diamond Rating for 2020. That’s just 2.3 percent of the nearly 32,000 restaurants inspected by AAA every year.
AAA inspects and rates hotels and restaurants every year:
To earn the coveted AAA Five Diamond designation, hotels and restaurants must pass a rigorous evaluation that includes unannounced, in-person inspections, anonymous overnight stays for hotels, and, finally, review by a panel of experts as an additional step to ensure credibility. All AAA Diamond Program hotels and restaurants are re-evaluated every year to ensure they provide the best experience for travelers and diners. These guidelines set the AAA Diamond program apart from other rating services that rely on unverified reviews.
To see the complete lists of 2020 AAA Four and Five Diamond hotels and restaurants, visit AAA.com/DiamondAwards
What’s the difference between Diamonds and Stars?
Only hotels and restaurants that pass AAA’s in-person professional inspection get a Diamond designation. That means every AAA Diamond property is a good option for the type of experience it provides. There are no bad choices. In contrast, many star rating systems based on user reviews include unacceptable choices. While it’s helpful to know what other travelers like you have experienced, trusting unverified sources can be a challenge.
About AAA Diamond Ratings:
For more than 80 years, AAA has used professional inspectors to conduct in-person property evaluations. AAA offers the only rating system using comprehensive, on-site professional hotel and restaurant inspections guided by member priorities. With a far greater inventory than any other rating entity, AAA’s rating system covers the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. AAA conducts these inspections as the trusted source of 60 million members, guiding them to have memorable travel and dining experiences.
Click here for the AAA Diamond Rating Guidelines for hotels and here for the AAA Diamond Rating Guidelines for restaurants.
In January, AAA unveiled a contemporized version of its highly acclaimed AAA Diamond Program, modernized to meet the needs of today’s travelers. A new Diamond designation reflecting AAA’s professional inspector reviews using updated guidelines sets the program apart from services that rely on unverified hotel and restaurant ratings. For more information, visit AAA.com/Diamonds.
Travelers can find Diamond Rated establishments and inspector insight in AAA’s trip planning products: the AAA Mobile app, the online AAA Travel Planner mapping and routing tool, searchable online AAA Travel Guides and AAA TourBook guides available to members at AAA offices. Travelers can access information about AAA inspections and Diamond Ratings at AAA.com/Diamonds.
AAA news releases, high resolution images, broadcast-quality video, fact sheets and podcasts are available on the AAA NewsRoom at NewsRoom.AAA.com.
Find local news releases at https://www.oregon.aaa.com/category/news-releases/