See Current AAA Five-Diamond Winners >
There are some occasions where scrimping and saving just won't do. Honeymoons and important anniversaries (not to mention major seductions) certainly fit into this category. If you've got the will, the way, and the wad of cash, go for the finest hotels and resorts, I say.
How can you determine if a particular hostelry represents la crème de la crème? Recommendations from well-heeled and well-traveled friends certainly count. But if you want an objective roster, derived by travel pros who've recently paid visits and bounced on beds on your behalf, look to the annual list of AAA Five-Diamond Award Winners.
For 2002, a record 120 lodgings and restaurants earned AAA's prestigious award. "Each of these winners represents the ultimate in world-class service and facilities," according to Michael Petrone, director, AAA Tourism Information Development. "That means their customers can and should expect an extraordinary experience."
So if you're going to indulge, go for the best. Across the USA, in Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico, they are:
ARIZONA
The Boulders Resort - Carefree
The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North
Marriott's Camelback Inn Resort, Golf Club & Spa - Scottsdale
CALIFORNIA
The Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows
Château du Sureau -Oakhurst
Four Seasons Hotel, Los Angeles
Four Seasons Hotel Newport Beach - reflagged as The Island Hotel Newport Beach
Four Seasons Resort Aviara - Carlsbad
The Peninsula Beverly Hills
Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel - Dana Point
The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey
The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco
Simpson House Inn - Santa Barbara
COLORADO
The Broadmoor - Colorado Springs
C Lazy U Ranch - Granby
The Little Nell - Aspen
CONNECTICUT
The Inn at National Hall - Westport
The Mayflower Inn - Washington
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C.
The Ritz-Carlton Washington, DC
FLORIDA
The Breakers - Palm Beach
Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach
The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples
The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach
GEORGIA
Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta
The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club - St. Simons Island
The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead - Atlanta
HAWAII
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu - Kailua-Kona
Four Seasons Resort, Maui at Wailea
The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua
ILLINOIS
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago (A Four Seasons Hotel)
MASSACHUSETTS
Four Seasons Hotel Boston
NEVADA
Bellagio - Las Vegas
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
NEW JERSEY
Hilton Short Hills
NEW YORK
Four Seasons Hotel New York
The New York Palace
The Peninsula New York
The St. Regis New York
NORTH CAROLINA
The Fearrington House Inn - Fearrington Village
PENNSYLVANIA
Buhl Mansion - Sharon
Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia
The Rittenhouse Hotel - Philadelphia
The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia
SOUTH CAROLINA
Woodlands Resort & Inn - Summerville
TEXAS
Four Seasons Hotel Houston
The Mansion on Turtle Creek - Dallas
Omni Houston Hotel
The St. Regis, Houston
VIRGINIA
The Jefferson Hotel - Richmond
The Inn at Little Washington - Washington
WASHINGTON
Four Seasons Olympic Hotel - Seattle (reflagged as Fairmont Olympic Hotel)
WEST VIRGINIA The Greenbrier - White Sulphur Springs
WISCONSIN
The American Club - Kohler
C A N A D A
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver
The Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver
The Sutton Place Hotel - Vancouver
C A R I B B E A N
JAMAICA
The Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall - Montego Bay
PUERTO RICO
Las Casitas Village - Fajardo
M E X I C O
Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Cancún
Four Seasons Hotel Mexico, D.F. - Mexico City
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita
The Ritz-Carlton, Cancún
Las Ventanas al Paraiso - San José del Cabo
More Winners:
AAA Five-Diamond Winners
Mobil Five-Star Winners
Best New Hotels for Romance
Explore more great lodgings...
in the
USA
in
Canada
in the
Caribbean
in
Mexico
Looking for a less-pricey vacation?
Inexpensive Getaways
