Understanding the New AAA Diamond Program

Did you know … AAA has conducted professional hotel and restaurant inspections for more than 80 years and assigned Diamonds for more than 40? While we’ve evolved to meet modern travel needs and trends, one thing remains unchanged: members come first. You’re the reason for AAA inspections -- and the reason for our recent improvements!

It’s All About the Diamonds

To make the AAA Diamond Program more cohesive, now all aspects center on the beautiful AAA Diamond icon!

• Places that pass inspection get a AAA Diamond Hotel or AAA Diamond Restaurant window decal (instead of AAA Inspected & Approved).
• In addition, they get a specific AAA Diamond designation (instead of a rating).
• And if their AAA.com listings include badges for exceptional housekeeping, inspection scores and offerings, those are now diamond-shaped too.

Diamonds Reclassified

Since AAA first added ratings to its hotel listings in the 1960s, the AAA Diamonds have conveyed what a property offers. But with the widespread growth of consumer review sites, a “rating” now indicates how much a user likes something, based on their personal opinion. While both types of information have value, they aren’t interchangeable. Since AAA still bases the Diamonds on unbiased inspection guidelines, we stand apart as experts in a sea of consumers. To reinforce the distinction, we reclassified the Diamonds as designations. We hope you’ll agree that the real difference is in the substance: Diamond designations provide clear travel decision-making information you can trust!

Approved Designation Recognizes the Good

Since popular user ratings include options at every quality level, consumers equate low ratings with low quality. In contrast, AAA includes only good choices for AAA members. As a result, it’s easy to forget that One and Two Diamond hotels and restaurants are ideal options for what they offer. To sidestep that confusion, we’ve rolled both levels into the new “Approved” designation, which recognizes places offering a clean, simple, reliable experience.

Travel With Someone You Trust

Enjoy the clarity AAA Diamonds bring to hotel and restaurant decisions, along with added insight from our inspectors and verified reviews from other members. At home and away, find the trusted AAA Diamonds in the AAA Travel Guides or TripTik Travel Planner on AAA.com, the AAA Mobile app or the AAA TourBook guides available at AAA South Jersey offices.