Page 24 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – May/June 2021

TRAVELER’S GUIDE
AAA Diamond Program:
A Fresh New Approach to Hotel and Restaurant Selection
White Elephant Resorts
As you start to get back into travel, it’s more important than ever to make sure that you are going somewhere safe, clean and with a great service reputation.
With more than 80 years as a trusted travel resource, AAA is a leader of change. When it comes to hotel and restaurant inspections, one thing remains the same: Members come first. The Diamond Program has recently undergone some exciting changes to further set its accommodations and dining apart from the rest.
As you plan your trips for the rest of 2021 and beyond, you’ll see the fresh new Diamond icon at every turn. Now, places that pass inspection get a AAA Diamond Hotel or Restaurant window decal and a AAA Diamond designation. If their AAA.com listings include badges for exceptional housekeeping, inspection scores or offerings, those are now diamond-shaped too.
We’ve also made two important changes to distinguish our professional inspections from user ratings. While both types of information have value, they aren’t interchangeable. First, we’ve redefined the AAA Diamonds as “designations” since they tell you what a property offers, while user ratings tell you how much a user likes a property.
Second, we’ve rolled our One and Two Diamonds into the new “Approved” designation to avoid the perception that low numbers mean low quality. Since AAA excludes substandard options from consideration, we proudly recommend every establishment that meets our high inspection standards.
Enjoy the clarity AAA Diamonds bring to decisions, along with added insight from our inspectors and verified reviews from other members. At home and away, you can find the trusted AAA Diamonds in the AAA Travel Guides or TripTik Travel Planner at AAA.com, on the AAA Mobile app or AAA TourBook guides available at AAA Hudson Valley offices.
24 I MAY/JUNE 2021