Canouan’s Mandarin in the diamond league

THE MANDARIN hotel on Canouan has made it into an exclusive group of hotels and restaurants identified for excellent hospitality in a just released international listing.

AAA has unveiled its 2020 Five Diamond awards, and the annual list has added six hotels and five restaurants for this year, of which the Mandarin is one. The exclusive group features just 119 hotels and 67 restaurants across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. That’s less than 1% of the 60,000+ plus AAA Diamond establishments, the publication stated in a release.

“AAA Five Diamond hotels and restaurants represent the best of AAA’s transformed Diamond Program,” Stacey Barber, executive director, AAA Travel Information & Content, said in a statement. “These hotels and restaurants consistently exceed expectations by providing their guests highly personalized, memorable experiences. They truly represent the upper echelon of the hospitality industry.”

Five Diamond hotels, which include just 0.4% of the nearly 27,000 AAA Diamond lodgings, are noted for world-class luxury, amenities and indulgence for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

This year’s new entrants include: – Boston Harbor Hotel, Boston, Mass.

– Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona – Hotel Bel Air, Los Angeles, Calif. – Hotel Xcaret Mexico, Playa del Carmen, Mexico – Mandarin Oriental, Canouan, Canouan, St. Vincent and the Grenadines – UNICO 20°N 87°W Hotel Riviera Maya, Akumal, Mexico RESTAURANTS Five Diamond restaurants, just 0.2% of more than 30,000 AAA Diamond restaurant listings, feature leading-edge cuisine, ingredients and preparation with extraordinary service and surroundings.

To earn the coveted AAA Five Diamond designation, hotels and restaurants must pass a rigorous evaluation that includes unannounced, in-person inspections, anonymous overnight stays for hotels, and, finally, review by a panel of experts as an additional step to ensure credibility.

All AAA Diamond Program hotels and restaurants are re-evaluated annually to ensure they provide the best experience for travelers and diners.