Question: Been a member since 1956 and then some. Have had great vacations aided by AAA services. Recent years have made me question the quality of the travel accommodation books in that the accommodations that carry the 3 and 4 "star" ratings are in our recent travels no better than a 2 in many cases. Either AAA is not inspecting with the standards of old, not inspecting regularly, or whatever. Don't know, but frustrating when committing to a substandard motel that has a high AAA rating. Also, some restaurants listed in books have been out of business for 4 years!!! What gives?? Thanks.

Answer: Michael Petrone, director of tourism information development, says: Thank you for visiting the AAA TravelViews blog and submitting your comment. It’s wonderful that you have been a member since 1956 and have enjoyed great vacations with the help of AAA services. I hope I can effectively address your current concerns.

AAA’s full-time inspectors work on a yearly cycle that starts anew as each annual TourBook guide is completed. Most properties maintain consistent service levels throughout the year-long life of each TourBook guide, but sometimes changes (including closures) do occur. When AAA finds out about a change or closure after the guide is printed, we modify the property’s listing on AAA.com immediately. The change is noted in our database and is reflected in the next annual edition of the printed guide. For this reason, it’s important to make sure you use the most recent version of the TourBook guide when you are planning a trip. Couple the newest printed guide with AAA.com information and you’ll have the best of both worlds.  

We are proud of our Diamond Rating System and the properties that meet our requirements to be AAA Approved and Diamond Rated. We provide the rating service for our members; therefore, our members’ experiences at the establishments are important. If your experience at a AAA Approved establishment does not meet your expectations, we hope you will tell us so we have an opportunity to make corrections and changes and, when appropriate, seek resolution. Members may submit their comments through local AAA club offices or using the online form at AAA.com/TourBookComments. Comments are addressed individually and members are contacted directly by a AAA Member Relations representative for any follow-up information needed.

AAA works closely with industry representatives and members to align the Diamond Rating guidelines with current practices and expectations, periodically updating these as needed. For a definition of each Diamond Rating level for lodgings and restaurants, please refer to P. 20-21 in any current TourBook guide or visit AAA.com/Diamonds. After you review the information, please let us know if you have questions or comments. You may submit these using the online form mentioned above, or through the Q&A section of the AAA TravelViews blog.