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Jack Frost - AAA Diamond ratings inspector

By Jeff Bateman

Jack Frost is just one of his pseudonyms when registering at hotels throughout enormous tracts of the Pacific Northwest, Alberta and as far north as Alaska and Canada 's Yukon and Northwest Territories. A definitive road warrior, he's on the move for as many as 300 nights a year, occasionally spending six weeks at a time away from home. And like his equally shadowy colleagues, he remains anonymous. When you're an insider in the diamond cartel—a man capable of giving and taking away status according to the discriminating standards of the hospitality industry—it's generally wise to keep your own counsel and drift through zip codes without leaving too many traces.

Mr. Frost, as he'd like us to call him, is one of 65 full-time professional inspectors (formally known as “tourism editors”) across North America who are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the American Automobile Association's Diamond rating system. With 32,000 lodgings and another 28,000 restaurants in the continental database (available online and published in regional AAA guidebooks), it's a mammoth, never-ending task. Frost personally visits upward of 1,000 hotels and motels in his vast geographic territory each year. He also dines out anywhere from 200 to 300 times annually in an epicurean feast that takes in everything from family diners to gourmet hot spots.

“Some days I'm dining in great restaurants, others I'm peering under toilet seats at motels in the middle of nowhere,” says Frost, a friendly, easygoing sort with a lengthy career in the hospitality business behind him. His job: To act as a surrogate for AAA members, a vigilant guardian who ensures that recommended lodgings and restaurants not only meet basic industry standards but also fully live up to whichever of the five Diamond rating levels they've been assigned.

Frost is continuing a tradition that began in 1937 when AAA inspectors began helping the club's members separate the clean, comfortable wheat of the lodging business from the “I can't believe they're charging $10 (in Depression-era dollars) for this flea pit!” chaff. The growing collection of ratings was organized into “good,” “very good,” “excellent” and “outstanding” categories in the early 1960s before today's system was implemented in 1977 in honor of AAA's diamond anniversary.

Typically, Frost will appear, unannounced and unscheduled, at the front desk of a hotel or motel—no matter whether it's an established listing or a new applicant seeking a first-time accreditation. He'll present his card, exchange pleasantries with the staff, and then ask to see several rooms freshly prepared by the maid service. Donning the metaphoric white gloves and working with a 27-item list of prerequisites, he explores each room stem to stern, checking for everything from stray dust bunnies to working smoke detectors. “It's a common-sense criteria based on industry standards. Is the room clean and well-maintained? Do guestrooms have a peephole and substantial deadbolt? Does the bathtub have a non-slip surface? Is there proper task lighting? These are all essential if any property wants basic approval from us.”

The level at which lodging are then rated also follows logical parameters, which Frost likens to housing types. “One Diamond is your basic starter home—clean, safe, no frills, but good value,” he explains. Two Diamonds takes one into a good middle-class neighborhood of older homes, while three Diamonds is akin to a newly built contemporary home with attractive décor and higher-grade flooring and lighting. Four Diamonds slips into the high-rent district, while the rare and prestigious five Diamond rating (of which there are three in Colorado —The Little Nell in Aspen , The Ritz Carlton- Bachelor Gulch in Beaver Creek and The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs ) is the last word on luxury.

A similar pecking order is established for restaurants: from the one Diamond diner that serves rib-sticking burgers and pizza to the foodie nirvanas that rate five glittering big ones. “Just like hotels, it's a matter of enhancements and refinements,” Frost says. “At the upper end you're getting knowlegeable, personalized service, creative menus and wonderful plate presentations.”

When Frost spots something amiss during an inspection, he prepares a notice alerting management. Lodgings are generally given one year to make amends. If so, wonderful. If not, a downgrade or decertification may be in order. “It doesn't happen often. The vast majority of owners and operators I deal with are extremely proud of that they offer the public. More often than not, I get to be a hero and pass on an extra Diamond because of serious upgrades and renovations.”

For a list of AAA Diamond-rated hotels and restaurants visit www.aaa.com/Diamonds or pick up a copy of the appropriate AAA TourBook guide, available at your local AAA office.

CARAT CRITERIA

LODGINGS

1 Diamond
Clean, comfortable, budget oriented

2 Diamonds
Modest enhancements to décor and amenities

3 Diamonds
Upgraded facilities, amenities, level of comfort

4 Diamonds
High degree of service, hospitality and attention to detail

5 Diamonds
First-class, ultimate in luxury and sophistication, impeccable service

RESTAURANTS

1 Diamond
Affordable, good, casual dining

2 Diamonds
Informal, family-oriented dining

3 Diamonds
Creative, upscale, adult-oriented

4 Diamonds
Luxurious, excellent service

5 Diamonds
World-class, impeccable service

AAA Travel—Get much more than free TourBooks, maps and TripTiks. AAA Domestic Travel Counselors can help plan your road trip. AAA Travel Professionals understand national and international travel, from guided tours to independent adventure. AAA Colorado's travel store (in most offices and online) contains books, atlases, luggage and other travel items. Call 866-235-7070, visit a AAA office, click on www.aaa.com.

 

AAA Connection 4 & 5 Diamond Award Winners in Colorado