As is the case with most major American tourist destinations, the hotels in Las Vegas are subject to periodic ratings administered by various local and national ratings companies. As a consequence, well informed tourists should have a decent understanding of what to expect from any particular hotel before they make their actual reservation and commit to one.
In Las Vegas, there are two basic hotel rating systems in effect, the Diamond System and the Star System. This article serves as a basic introduction to these systems so you can make an informed decision before paying for Las Vegas hotel reservation and avoid any uncomfortable surprises once it is too late.
The Diamond Hotel Rating System
The American Automobile Association (“Triple A” or “AAA”) is a national association that is a leader in the rating of American hotels across the country and they also regularly visit and rate the hotels of Las Vegas, from the fanciest to the most basic. The highest rating in the Diamond System is five diamonds which basically means the place offers the highest level of luxury and service possible and that the place is completely on par with the very best hotels in the world. Very few hotels meet this standard and despite having many luxury hotels, only five of them in Las Vegas meet the five diamond standard.
As single diamond – as opposed to five – is the bottom rating offered by Triple A in the Diamond System. Having this rating means the room is both clean and safe, though it may not have many (if any) amenities and is very basic. Despite this being the lowest ranking, there are still standards that have to be met and if a hotel fails to meet the minimum standards they will simply not be rated at all or allowed to claim the status of “AAA Approved”. The “AAA Approved” tag is used by hotels that have been rated and approved but choose not to advertise their specific diamond rating. This is not uncommon among hotels that believe their diamond rating is too low or those that believe making their specific rating known would undermine their business.