Why ratings still matter
Formal hotel ratings of Stars and Diamonds still carry a lot of weight, even in the Yelp era
Sitting on a couch in a nook of The Peninsula Chicago’s lobby, the man in the brown sports coat could be anyone — local, tourist, salesman.
It’s a chameleonlike quality that comes in handy: He’s Inspector 40, an inspector with AAA, and his job is to visit hotels and restaurants — often anonymously — and score them according to the company’s Diamond-rating system.
In the last three decades, Inspector 40 has doled out enough diamonds to fill a mine. Last year alone, he inspected 664 hotels in Illinois, Wisconsin and Northern California.
Today, I’ve been invited along because I’m curious about the value of legacy rating systems, such as AAA and Forbes Travel Guide, at a time when everyone can be a critic on Yelp, TripAdvisor and other sites. I’d wager that few, if any, on Yelp and TripAdvisor have the training and experience of Inspector 40.
The inspection
He introduces himself as a AAA inspector at the front desk of The Peninsula and requests a tour of the AAA Five-Diamond property. (In the past, he has stayed here anonymously; today, on this unscheduled visit, he’s doing an update for the ratings guide and will be led through the facilities.)
After a few minutes, a slender manager wearing a dark suit arrives looking very serious. Over the next 90 minutes, he leads Inspector 40 through a variety of guest rooms (king, double, junior suite), into a business center and event space, around the gym, pool and spa and into the men’s locker room.
I’d expected pursed lips and a detached demeanor from a professional hotel critic, but I find Inspector 40 is approachable and quite complimentary while being thorough and focused.
In a bathroom: “Great lighting. I don’t wear makeup, but if I did, I imagine I could do it here.”
In a guest room: “All these light fabrics. I can just say, ‘Congratulations, you keep this immaculate!’ ”
Walking down the stairs near a meeting room: “I imagine this is a photo op for brides?”
In the guest rooms, he opens drawers and examines the contents — coffee pods, coffee cups, a leather-bound notepad, office supplies. He runs his finger along frames and ledges, looking for dust. He opens and closes toilet lids. Along the way, he’s commenting on how hard it must be to keep the carpets clean and how durable marble is while taking notes and rating everything on his tablet. Through it all, it’s clear the inspector has a keen awareness of germs:
“Have you ever looked through a magnifying glass at what we breathe?” he says. “It’s amazing we live as long as we live.”
When the inspection wraps up, Inspector 40 meets with management and lets them know he will recommend the property for Five Diamonds once again, and he shares some minor critiques. Then he’s off to the next inspection.
Diamonds and stars
AAA began conducting hotel and restaurant inspections in 1937 as a travelplanning service to its motor club members.
The AAA lodging Diamond rating guidelines were