Four Seasons, InterContinental, Ritz Carlton lead diamond pack

By Leon Stafford

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

When it comes to luxury lodging in 2010, the diamond standard in Georgia includes the Four Seasons Atlanta, the InterContinental Hotel on Peachtree Street and the Ritz-Carlton locations in Buckhead, downtown Atlanta and at Lake Oconee.

AAA Auto Club South will hand out its five- and four-diamond awards for the state's best hotels and restaurants Thursday at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead. The annual AAA honors and those from Forbes Travel Guide , which rates businesses with a star system, are coveted in the industry because they can boost sales among travelers who make decisions based on the groups' assessments.

The Four Seasons Atlanta was named a five-star hotel by Forbes, which acquired the star ratings from Mobil Travel Guide last year. The Four Seasons is the only lodger in the city to receive the honor and the only hotel to get the top award from both AAA and Forbes.

The Lodge and the Cloister at Sea Island also received five stars from Forbes.

AAA awarded four diamonds to the 1842 Inn in Macon, Château Élan Winery and Resort and 11 metro Atlanta hotels: the Grand Hyatt, JW Marriott Buckhead, the Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Renaissance Concourse, Renaissance Waverly, Westin Buckhead, W Midtown, Hilton Atlanta Airport, Marriott Evergreen Conference Resort, W Buckhead and the Westin Atlanta Airport.

Fourteen restaurants received AAA four diamonds. They are D Morgan's in Cartersville, Georgia's Bistro at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation at Lake Oconee, and metro Atlanta restaurants Nan Thai Fine Dining, Aria, Canoe, Bluepointe, Joël, La Grotta Ravinia Ristorante Italiano, La Grotta Ristorante Italiano, Atlanta Grill at the Ritz Carlton downtown, Nikolai’s Roof at the Hilton downtown, Park 75 at the Four Seasons and Bacchanalia.

The Linger Longer Bar & Grill at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation was also given four diamonds by AAA, though it was destroyed in a fire about eight months ago.

Four-star hotels on the Forbes list include the InterContinental, the St. Regis, the Rosewood at the Mansion on Peachtree and Ritz-Carlton Buckhead.

For the first time, Atlanta did not have a five-star restaurant. The Dining Room, a perennial favorite of the star system, closed last year because of dwindling sales and a move away from formal dining.

Restaurants receiving four stars from Forbes were Bacchanalia, Park 75 and Quinones at Bacchanalia.