For the world’s vacationers, there is a seemingly infinite number of hotels to choose from. Depending on the budget, accommodations can range from a windowless ground floor motel room to the luxury experience of a beachside suite with a balcony.
Offering quality accommodations to travelers will likely continue to be a lucrative business. Travel and tourism is a significant and growing component of the U.S. economy, contributing an estimated total of $1.5 trillion to GDP in 2016.
According to the Labor Department, employment in the leisure and hospitality industry has steadily increased in recent years, outpacing employment gains in most other U.S. sectors. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, hospitality is the fastest growing industry in the world.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed Diamond ratings for U.S. hotels provided by the American Automobile Association (AAA). To be considered for our list, hotels needed to have a 4- or 5-Diamond rating. In states with multiple 4- or 5-diamond-rated hotels, the hotel with the most consecutive years of ratings was selected. The insurance and travel firm awards 1 through 5 Diamond ratings only to hotels that pass inspection, indicating they are clean, comfortable places. Top rated hotels offer extensive, highly personalized services and amenities characterized as “ultimate luxury.”
Click here to see the best hotels in every state.
AAA reviews tens of thousands of establishments, and 5-Diamond hotels represent less than 1% of all inspected hotels in North America. Most states do not have any 5-Diamond hotels. At the same time, New York City, adding two ultra-luxury accommodations last year, is home to 11 5-Diamond hotels — the most of any U.S. city.
Comparing states, California has the most top-rated hotels, with 15.
While each year establishments enter (and exit) the ranks of ultimate luxury hotels, some, including the hotels on this list, have stood the test of time. The Broadmoor, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the only hotel to maintain a 5-Diamond rating for 42 straight years.
To identify the best hotel in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 4 and 5 Diamond ratings provided by AAA. This year, AAA awarded 1 through 5 Diamond ratings to roughly 27,000 hotels across the country. To be considered for our list, hotels needed to have a 4- or 5-Diamond rating. In states with multiple 4- or 5-diamond-rated hotels, the hotel with the most consecutive years of ratings was selected. The total number of hotels in each state was obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015 County Business Patterns database. Hotel totals do not include casinos.
These are the best hotels in every state.
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