"That shows the high level of service that these hotels and restaurants continue to provide," said AAA Utah spokeswoman Rolayne Fairclough, noting that AAA assigns hotels and restaurants one to five diamonds to help its members know what to expect in terms of service and price.
Utah restaurants earning four diamonds were the Metropolitan, La Caille and Log Haven, all in Salt Lake area; The Tree Room at Sundance; the Glitretind and Goldener Hirsch in Park City; and Simons at The Homestead and the Blue Boar Restaurant in Midway.
Among hotels, Salt Lake City's Downtown Marriott Hotel earned Four Diamond status for the 25th-straight time, the most ever in Utah.
"It's a great honor that recognizes a philosophy and pattern of management that is consistent with Marriott's standards," said Steve Lundgren, the Downtown Marriott's general manager. "You won't get [Four Diamonds] if you cut corners or try to cut back on service. We've been consistent in delivering those higher levels of service every year."
Lundgren isn't certain how much extra business the ranking has generated, but he is certain the designation has been helpful.
"A certain number of customers, when they're deciding what hotel to stay at or restaurant to eat at, will use AAA as their source," he said. "And I know we'll speak about it when we're talking to groups and conventions about coming to our hotel. . . . AAA is an important way we sell the hotel. It's a great honor. We don't take it lightly, and we strive to make sure we deserve it."
Utah lodging recipients were spread across the state.
Besides the Downtown Marriott, other Salt Lake City hotels to earn the distinction were the Little America Hotel, the Marriott City Center, the Hilton Salt Lake City Center, The Inn at Temple Square and Hotel Monaco. On the other end of the state, the Coyote Inn at Green Valley Resort & Spa was St. George's lone honoree.
Four lodging establishments in Midway were singled out: Homestead Resort, Blue Boar Inn, Invited Inn and Johnson Mill Bed & Breakfast. Park City had three selections: the Grand Summit Resort Hotel, Hotel Park City and the Silver King Hotel.
Sorrel River Ranch Resort & Spa, Red Cliffs Adventure Lodge and the Sunflower Hill Luxury Inn made the list in Moab.
Gregg Stucki, Sunflower Hill's general manager, said his inn-owning family debated whether to go after a Four Diamond rating, and is happy that it did.
"There are not a lot of properties in this part of the state that have that kind of rating. It distinguishes us from other properties," he said. "You can tell that a lot of people will call from the road and they're going down their AAA book, looking for the Four Diamond rating.
"And it's a good motivator for us to keep up on our toes to provide the kind of service and decor required to be rated Four Diamond. We try our best to resist the urge to coast."
Stucki's words ring true to Jerry Agnew, who teams with wife Shauna to run Skyridge Inn Bed & Breakfast in Torrey. Like Sunflower Hill, Skyridge Inn displays AAA's Four Diamonds prominently on its Web page.
"We do everything we have to do to keep that Four Diamond," said Agnew, whose six rooms have wireless Internet. "Maybe one potential customer in 100 will ask if you have wireless Internet, and now we can say, 'Yes, we do.' "
In the 11 years since Skyridge Inn earned the distinction, Agnew said AAA's rating has pulled in more customers and allowed him to charge more for providing a full breakfast, evening snacks and other amenities customarily lacking at standard hotels.
"People who come to Capitol Reef [National Park] can get a nice room in a motel for $40 to $50," he said. "We'll take anybody, but in general the people who stay with us appreciate the little higher level of service we offer."
mikeg@sltrib.com
