Five Hotels and Two Restaurants in Oklahoma are named to AAA Four Diamond list for 2012
                                                                        
Fewer than four percent of hotels and restaurants across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean attained the travel authority’s elite property rating in 2012.

NEWS from AAA Oklahoma, Jan. 20, 2012 – AAA Oklahoma today revealed the names of the five lodgings and two restaurants in Oklahoma that have earned the AAA Four Diamond Award for 2012. Among these, one lodging is a new addition to the list.

Four Diamond lodgings are refined and stylish with upscale physical attributes. They offer guests extensive amenities and a wide range of services. Area lodgings receiving the AAA Four Diamond Rating for 2012 include:

• Waterford Marriott Hotel in Oklahoma City – 2012 marks the 16th consecutive year this property has won this award
• Renaissance Oklahoma City Convention Center Hotel and Spa – 10th consecutive year
• Renaissance Tulsa Hotel and Convention Center – 9th consecutive year
• Skirvin Hilton Hotel in Oklahoma City – 5th consecutive year
• Choctaw Casino Resort Grand Tower, just south of Durant – 1st year

Four Diamond restaurants provide a distinctive fine dining experience. They feature highly creative chefs, complex menus, fresh top-quality ingredients and knowledgeable staff. Oklahoma restaurants receiving the AAA Four Diamond Rating for 2012 include:

• Polo Grill in Tulsa – 12th consecutive year
• Coach House in Oklahoma City – 12th consecutive year

Representing the upper echelon of the hospitality industry, the 2,245 AAA Four Diamond and establishments in North America make up just 3.8 percent of the total 59,000 AAA Approved and Diamond Rated lodgings and restaurants throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

“Four Diamond hotels and restaurants are committed to providing every guest with a high level of personalized service in comfortable, luxurious surroundings,” said Chuck Mai, spokesman for AAA Oklahoma. “To achieve and maintain this level of hospitality is a significant accomplishment. We are proud to recognize these dedicated Oklahoma establishments with the Four Diamond Rating.”

AAA’s professional inspectors, ideally positioned to observe emerging hospitality trends, noted changes in store for travelers in 2012. For hotels, a prevalent trend is creating a home-away-from-home environment, according to AAA inspectors. Another growth area is “smarter” hotel rooms that learn guests’ habits as they use a central remote to control everything from heating and air conditioning to lights, curtains, music and wakeup calls. In the restaurant industry, prevailing themes include more natural ingredients, locally sourced foods and healthier meal options. These include rustic fare — simple dishes with fresh ingredients — made in-house and new twists on comfort foods such as a “dusting” of dried, powdered fruits or vegetables to add texture and flavor, rather than heavy sauces.

AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotel and restaurant listings can be found in the AAA TourBook travel guides available at AAA offices across the country. They can be accessed online at AAA.com/Travel and through downloadable eTourBook guides at AAA.com/ebooks. Smartphone users can locate Diamond Rated establishments using the free AAA TripTik Mobile app or AAA Mobile Web at AAA.com/mobile.

Continuing a 75-year tradition, AAA’s professionally trained inspectors use published guidelines to conduct unannounced property evaluations. AAA rates more properties than any other rating entity and is the only rating system that covers the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. It is one of only two that conduct physical, on-site evaluations.

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 53 million members (including 357,000 in Oklahoma) with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA Oklahoma can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.