Montana AAA/CAA Four Diamond Establishments Announced

AAA MountainWest adds a new lodging to exclusive list

Helena, Mont. 1/14/2011 – AAA has announced two lodgings currently hold Four Diamond Award® status in Montana. Among these, one lodging was added to the list this year. The AAA/CAA Four and Five Diamond Ratings are the travel authority’s highest designations for hotels and restaurants.

Area lodgings receiving the prestigious AAA/CAA Four Diamond Rating include:

              Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, Emigrant - Four Diamond destination since 1992

              The Lodge at Whitefish Lake, Whitefish - Four Diamond destination since 2010

AAA Four and Five Diamond lodgings offer guests a wide range of amenities and services. The hallmarks of restaurants at this rating level are a distinctive fine dining experience and complex menus.

Representing the upper echelon of the hospitality industry, AAA/CAA Four and Five Diamond establishments make up just 3.6 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively, of the total 59,000 AAA/CAA Approved and Diamond Rated lodgings and restaurants throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

“To achieve and maintain this level of hospitality is a significant accomplishment,” said Denice Harris, AAA Spokeswoman. “Four and Five Diamond establishments consistently deliver a high level of personal comfort and attention to every guest, and we are honored to recognize their commitment to excellence.”   

Travelers can access AAA/CAA Diamond Ratings and Inspector Notes in the printed TourBook® guides, eTourBook guides and online at AAA.com using the searchable listings, TripTik® Travel Planner or AAA Mobile Web. Plus, those with an Apple iPhone can now access AAA’s travel information on the go with the free AAA TripTik Mobile app. AAA TripTik Mobile uses GPS technology to display AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants near a user’s location.

AAA rates more properties than any other rating entity and is the only rating system that covers the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. It is one of only two that conduct physical, on-site evaluations.  AAA Approved lodgings and restaurants are assigned a rating of One to Five Diamonds. AAA began field inspections of lodgings and restaurants in 1937 and introduced a formal rating system for accommodations in 1963. The early rating system evolved into the Diamond Rating System for lodgings in 1976 and was rolled out for restaurants between 1986 and 1991. Professionally trained AAA/CAA inspectors use published guidelines to evaluate and rate properties as a service to members.

AAA/CAA Approved lodgings and restaurants are assigned a rating of One to Five Diamonds. For more information about Diamond Ratings and the complete lists of Four and Five Diamond establishments, visit AAA.com/News. 

AAA MountainWest is dedicated to providing its over 175,000 members in Alaska, Montana and Wyoming with travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services. A fully tax-paying, not-for-profit corporation, AAA MountainWest, Inc. works for the improvement of motoring and traveling conditions and is a leader for travel, civic and safety issues. In 2008, AAA was voted the #1 socially responsible business brand in America by Landor’s BrandAsset® Valuator. AAA can be visited on the Internet at www.AAA.com. To have up-to-date news and safety information from AAA delivered right to your desktop, sign-up for the new RSS Feed at http://mtw.aaashare.com/index.php#rss.