AAA’s new Inspector’s Best Of Housekeeping award recognizes AAA Inspected & Approved hotels that receive the highest possible cleanliness and condition scores, giving travelers another important indication of what it means to be a AAA top-rated hotel in North America.

While every hotel must meet expected standards of cleanliness and condition to qualify as AAA Inspected & Approved and receive a Diamond Rating, hotels awarded the Inspector’s Best Of Housekeeping designation significantly surpass expectations, as measured during a comprehensive, on-site inspection. All areas of the property must reflect this very high standard as AAA inspectors review for evidence of dirt, dust, pests, equipment performance and more.

“AAA has found that cleanliness and physical condition are consistently among the most important components travelers consider when looking for a hotel. This new designation identifies hotels with exceptional practices,” said Carol DiOrio, vice president of travel at AAA Western and Central New York. “The vast majority of AAA Inspected & Approved hotels fall in the midscale, Three Diamond range, so those that earn the Inspector’s Best Of Housekeeping badge are a step above in a way that matters to today’s discerning traveler.”

A hotel’s housekeeping and maintenance attributes are among the most rigorous components analyzed during the unannounced evaluation conducted annually by AAA’s professionally trained inspectors. All AAA Inspected & Approved hotels at all Diamond Rating levels, throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, may qualify for the Inspector’s Best Of Housekeeping designation.

“In addition to passing AAA’s rigorous on-site inspection, the properties that have received the Inspector’s Best Of Housekeeping award have demonstrated a tremendous commitment to keeping their property in top condition – whether that be a small inn or bed-and-breakfast, a sprawling resort or a skyscraping city hotel – at all times for our members and their guests,” continued DiOrio.

Properties must demonstrate housekeeping excellence for two consecutive inspections and be free of AAA member complaints to meet the criteria for this award, which puts them in the top 25% of all 27,000 AAA Inspected & Approved hotels.

AAA’s professional inspectors evaluate and rate properties year-round, so the total number of properties to achieve the Inspector’s Best Of Housekeeping award varies throughout the year. (All figures listed below are as of July 19, 2019.)

States with the Most AAA Inspector’s Best Of Housekeeping Hotels

1.       California (982)

2.       Florida (485)

3.       Texas (468)

4.       North Carolina (458)

5.       New York (406)

6.       Virginia (328)

7.       Pennsylvania (281)

8.       Tennessee (268)

9.       Maryland (238)

10.   Massachusetts (215)

Cities with the Most AAA Inspector’s Best Of Housekeeping Hotels

1.       New York, New York (161)

2.       Houston, Texas (90)

3.       Washington, D.C. (78)

4.       Orlando, Florida (69)

5.       Charlotte, North Carolina (68)

6.       Austin, Texas (63)

7.       Nashville, Tennessee (61)

8.       San Diego, California (60)

9.       Anaheim, California (50)

10.   San Antonio, Texas (49)