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What goes into a 'Diamond Rating' hotel review

AAA is one of the only organizations to perform professional inspections and ratings. For a hotel to earn a diamond rating, an inspector shows up unannounced each year, and accepts no complimentary stays, services or items.

YORK (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- Carefully combing every inch of a corner suite at the Cliff House resort in Maine, 'Inspector 66' meticulously analyzes every detail, down to the light fixtures.

"We have the experience of visiting thousands and thousands of hotels," said the AAA hotel inspector, who needs to remain anonymous to ensure future inspections go off without bias or preferential treatment.

He rearranges the furniture, crawls under the bed, and wipes his hands on every surface looking for cleanliness. He checks the door's deadbolt to ensure it locks properly, and admires the amenities, such as upgraded snacks, checking off the more than 30 requirements for every property seeking the company's "diamond rating."

"Five-diamond is unforgettable. Four-diamond is memorable. Both are high levels of luxury, amenities, guest comfort. The question is: what are you bringing to the member?" said the inspector. "When you wake up in the morning, all the subliminals -- water pressure, towels, soaps, a good night's sleep -- all that is what hits you when you walk out the door to start their day."

Sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor solicit crowd-sourced reviews. AAA is one of the only organizations to perform professional inspections and ratings. To earn a diamond rating, an inspector shows up unannounced each year, and accepts no complimentary stays, services or items.

"You know that a professional AAA inspector went there, looked at a cross-section of rooms and the recommendation that they're making is based on solid information," said the inspector.

Richard Carroll, the director of marketing for Cliff House, which earned its four-diamond rating for the year of 2018, said the award brings acclaim and prestige to the resort.

"Folks are making an investment of their time and time is almost more expensive than money itself," said Carroll. "It shows that we've taken the time to provide the quality that our guests would expect when staying at a fine resort on the coast of Maine."

Carroll said that 95 percent of the guests who stay at Cliff House use online reviews when making their decision to stay.

"It's a critical part of the buying process now," said Carroll. "When people are making a purchase, they want to ensure they have a flawless experience."

There are 20 four-diamond rated hotels in Maine in 2018, according to AAA. To see a list, click here.

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