Hotels, Restaurants In DC, VA Earn Top Diamond Ratings From AAA

WASHINGTON, DC — AAA released its exclusive five-diamond and four-diamond list of hotels and restaurants Thursday, and various DC and Virginia places made the cut. The five-diamond list includes just 119 hotels and 67 restaurants in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. In other words, those places represent less than 1 percent of the 60,000 hotels and restaurants receiving AAA property evaluations.

Hotels and restaurants with the five-diamond designation must pass a rigorous evaluation with unannounced inspections, and review by a panel of experts. Anonymous stays are included in the evaluation for hotels. These places are reevaluated each year to ensure the rating should stand.

"These hotels and restaurants consistently exceed expectations by providing their guests highly personalized, memorable experiences," said Stacey Barber, executive director of AAA travel information and content. "They truly represent the upper echelon of the hospitality industry."

Regional hotels with the five-diamond rating were Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC and The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia. Restaurants earning five diamonds included Pineapple and Pearls in DC and The Inn at Little Washington Dining Room in Washington, Virginia.

The next level of ratings, four-diamond hotels and restaurants, made up 4.2 percent of the properties receiving AAA evaluations. There are 1,718 four-diamond hotels and 683 four-diamond restaurants, defined by AAA as "refined and stylish with upscale physical attributes, extensive amenities and a high degree of hospitality, service and attention to detail."

DC and Virginia hotels with the four-diamond rating included:

• Fairmont Washington, DC in Georgetown
• InterContinental Washington DC at The Wharf
• Mandarin Oriental Washington, DC
• Park Hyatt Washington DC
• Rosewood Washington, DC
• The Hay–Adams in DC
• The Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection, in DC
• The Ritz–Carlton Georgetown, Washington, DC
• The Ritz–Carlton, Washington, DC
• The St. Regis, Washington, DC
• The Watergate Hotel in DC
• The Willard InterContinental in DC
• Trump International Hotel Washington DC
• The Martha Washington Inn & Spa in Abingdon
• The Ritz–Carlton, Pentagon City in Arlington
• Lansdowne Resort and Spa in Leesburg
• Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg
• The Ritz–Carlton, Tysons Corner in Tysons Corner

DC and Virginia restaurants earning four diamonds were:

• 1789 Restaurant in DC
• Bourbon Steak in DC
• Fiola in DC
• Komi in DC
• Marcel's by Robert Wiedmaier in DC
• minibar by Jose Andres in DC
• 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church
• L'Auberge Chez Francois & Jacques’ Brasserie in Great Falls
• Harrimans Virginia Piedmont Grill in Middleburg
• L'Auberge Provencale in White Post

The full list of four- and five-diamond winners is posted at www.aaa.com/DiamondAwards.