What Those Stars and Diamonds Mean to You
by Annika S. Hipple
Northwest Meetings + Events
Winter 2008
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The Mobil Travel Guide Five-Star System and the American Automobile Association (AAA) Diamond Awards are among the best known of the many opt-in hotel affiliations available. For meetings planners, particularly those new to the industry or a destination, these ratings offer an often-overlooked starting point.
Every establishment that applies for a Mobil rating receives a visit from a facility inspector, who assigns a one- to five-star rating based on factors such as cleanliness, physical condition and location. Properties that might qualify for a higher rating receive a second visit from an anonymous inspector who performs a service evaluation using a checklist of more than 500 criteria together with stopwatches and recorders to judge speed and accuracy.
The AAA Diamond Awards, which include Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) ratings, involve a similarly thorough evaluation. When a property’s application is accepted it receives an unannounced visit from an inspector. If the establishment meets AAA’s quality criteria, it is rated from one to five diamonds, based on the services and amenities provided.
“Those particular ratings are trusted because they are done on a very strict basis,” says Greata Beatty, vice president of Beatty Group International, meeting planners in Beaverton, Ore. However, many experienced planners say that they rarely consult ratings, relying on factors such as location, amenities and available meeting space to narrow down the options.
“When you look at a ‘normal’ corporate organization planning their annual sales meeting, they’re typically looking more for a brand than a star rating,” says Dan Carraher, director of sales and marketing at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront.
Brand affiliation requires properties to meet very strict guidelines on an ongoing basis, notes Jan Simon Aridj, president and CEO of the Washington State Hotel and Lodging Association. However, for evaluating individual properties, AAA and Mobil ratings offer valuable guarantees of quality.
STARS AND DIAMONDS
AAA approves and rates nearly 60,000 hotels and restaurants throughout North America. Properties of interest to meeting planners generally rank in the top three tiers.
Three-diamond hotels offer distinguished facilities and an array of amenities and services. Many Best Western, Red Lion, Silver Cloud and Radisson properties receive this rating.
Upscale hotels with expanded amenities and services fall into the four-diamond category, which includes Seattle’s W Hotel, the Marriott Victoria Inner Harbour, and many Westin, Sheraton and Hyatt properties.
Even more exclusive, Mobil recommends approximately 9,000 hotels in North America. Three-star properties include many Marriott, Westin and Hilton hotels, along with such landmarks as the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria and Portland’s Benson Hotel.
Offering outstanding amenities and service, four-star hotels include a few Northwest properties such as Vancouver’s Sutton Place Hotel and the Four Seasons Resort Whistler.
The top-rated hotels provide a highly personalized luxury experience. In 2007, only 93 hotels and 58 restaurants received AAA’s five-diamond rating. Mobil’s five-star award is even more selective; just 32 hotels earned the designation in 2007.
“It provides a stamp of approval on our reputation,” says Beverly Magee, director of sales and marketing for the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle’s only five-diamond hotel. “From a meeting planner perspective, that gives a sense of security.”
Bronwyn Slade, manager of meeting and convention sales for Tourism Vancouver, notes that some groups don’t want four- or five-diamond hotels, usually either for cost reasons or because the size of the group requires the use of numerous hotels with similar features. However, Slade says that Vancouver’s two five-diamond hotels are “a real selling point” for corporate and incentive programs where the goal is to impress or reward attendees.
Ultimately, AAA and Mobil ratings are probably more important for independent travelers than for groups; nevertheless, they provide meeting planners with another useful tool for the all-important site selection process.
