One way in which superior resorts and restaurants are recognized is through the famous AAA Four Diamond and Five Diamond Awards.

The list of hotels and restaurants changes annually.

AAA Five Diamond Awards 2005

In 2005, there are a grand total of 85 hotels and 57 restaurants in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Caribbean that carry the elite Five Diamond status.

In the Caribbean, they are only nine AAA Five Diamond hotels, most of them in the Cancun area.

The Caribbean has only two AAA Five Diamond restaurants.

AAA Four Diamond Awards

Although AAA Four Diamond hotels are found on many islands, the greatest number is clustered around Cancun.

You can find a Four Diamond restaurant on many islands.

Articles about two Four Diamond resorts:

Cap Juluca, Anguilla: This is the resort the NBC's Today Show used for its special wedding broadcast. Life at this small cluster of Moorish-style buildings is usually more discrete.

Malliouhana Hotel, Anguilla: Another outstanding hotel on tiny Anguilla, the Malliouhana has a steady clientele that stays for several months at a time.