Spa lobby at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples — five stars and five diamonds. [Photo: Mark Wieland]

Update (11/11): The inspection reports are in. The two big traditional hotel rating groups rendered their 2010 verdicts handing out some new blue ribbons. Although Florida developers managed to erect massive luxury properties in the past two years, only three hotels got five diamond ratings from AAA: the Four Seasons, Palm Beach, the Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale and Acqualina Resort and Spa, Sunny Isles. The star ratings from Forbes Travel Guide, successors to the star keepers at Mobil, did not find any new Five-Star hotels in Florida.

The star keepers at Forbes Travel Guides, formerly Mobil, and the diamond judges at AAA will release their 2010 rankings this month to the delight — and chagrin — of hotel managers.

In 2009, Forbes/Mobil found only 36 hotels in the U.S. worth five stars, including three in Florida: The Ritz-Carltons in Naples and Palm Beach and the Four Seasons in Palm Beach. Forbes/Mobil was even tougher on the state’s restaurants: It found none in Florida to rank with the likes of the French Laundry.

AAA, which examines more hotels, awarded five diamonds to The Breakers, Ponte Vedra Inn, the Four Seasons hotel in Miami, and seven Ritz-Carlton properties (Naples, Naples Golf Resort, Coconut Grove, Key Biscayne, Palm Beach, Sarasota and Amelia Island).

Colloquially, four-star and five-star ratings are synonyms for very fancy or really expensive, but achieving top ratings from Forbes/Mobil and AAA are the goals set by many hotels and the standard for managers’ bonuses. Travelers trust the ratings as impartial, says Vivian Deuschl, vice present of Ritz-Carlton, which now has 72 hotels around the world.

The origins of the stars are cloudy. Government officials in Europe put stars on hotels to rank facilities and prices, but the Michelin tire company’s guides for touring motorists added qualitative judgments and limited stars to the very best. Just one is remarkable; three is tops.

Both Forbes/Mobil and AAA put hotels in five ranks. The first three levels (stars or diamonds) are determined relatively simply by evaluation of facilities and amenities. To rise above three requires overnight examination by anonymous inspectors.

The Forbes/Mobil inspection takes three days and two nights and produces a detailed report, says Shane O’Flaherty, president of the travel guides. “Just on room service, there are 40 questions. It’s a very granular analysis.”

The standards are exacting. At AAA, for instance, a four-diamond hotel must have “excellent curb appeal,” an upscale restaurant and wooden hangers. For five, the hotel must have “stunning” curb appeal, two upscale restaurants, and closets that are lit, with at least 10 hangers.

The ultimate distinction is service, with personnel well-groomed and well-spoken from the first phone call through face-to-face problem solving. That doesn’t mean a British accent, but O’Flaherty says, “The staff must be clear, and the guests must feel they command their attention.’’

Deuschl and the Ritz founders agree. They started in 1983 because “there was no luxury hotel with extraordinary service.’’ While not all Ritz properties feature pink stucco and three-course dinners, the less-formal style hasn’t diminished service standards. “It doesn’t always have to be, ‘Certainly, my pleasure,’ everywhere,’’ Deuschl says. “It should never be ‘are you guys enjoying yourselves?’ ’’

At top-rank properties, service also reflects pride. O’Flaherty says that comes from careful hiring, generous staffing and constant training. “A five-star property is a way of life, a philosophy and long-term commitment. Properties have to choose to invest in human capital, not just physical.”

Not Starry-Eyed

Mondrian, Miami Beach

Not all new hotels sweat the stars; exotic sites or dramatic looks get instant buzz among vacationista magazines and blogs.

Mondrian, the newest hotel from the Morgans Hotel Group started by Ian Schrager, has created buzz already. The Alice-in-Wonderland whimsy starts in an all-white lobby of pillar-sized pawns, organic staircases and a huge portrait of a hip pixie in full pucker. She’s on the white walls of the rooms too, along with baroque scroll work and Delft blue tiles featuring sharks and sailboats instead of windmills. Too hip? Not when service is friendly, quick and attitude-free.

Manager Maria Elena Rubio prefers Morgans’ version of luxury to others’ stars and diamonds. “We like to go out of the box with how we exceed our guests’ expectations. They come to us for this reason and like to be surprised with the unexpected.”

Tags: Dining & Travel