TEMECULA, Calif. – (June 27, 2023) – Pechanga Resort Casino and its signature restaurant, the Great Oak Steakhouse, have once again been assessed and now recognized AAA Four Diamond travel experts.
For the 22nd year, Pechanga Resort Casino has picked up the esteemed award that’s only bestowed on four percent of inspected hotels. Hotels are expected to meet particular standards of cleanliness, comfort and hospitality to first be a part of the AAA Diamond Program. From there, a three, four or five diamond distinction is awarded. The Great Oak Steakhouse, one of 12 in Pechanga’s restaurant collection, also received the Four Diamond distinction from the critics.
Since opening in 2002, the resort has won this award each year. The Great Oak Steakhouse has now earned this award 12 times consecutively. Only 13 other resorts in Riverside County carry the AAA Four Diamond decoration, while the Great Oak Steakhouse earned the honor alongside only five other restaurants in Riverside County. It is the only Temecula, Calif. restaurant to make the list.
“Our team members give their all each year to make sure our service and facilities match and surpass the AAA Four Diamond standards,” said Ken Perez, Pechanga Development Corporation President. “Prestigious awards like these promise our guests a positive and inviting experience when they visit. The quality and cleanliness at Pechanga, the comfort of our rooms and suites, and the impeccable service we pride ourselves on illustrate this for visitors each time they’re here.”
Pechanga’s Great Oak Steakhouse is currently receiving a big refresh. With plans to reopen in summer 2023, guests can expect an impressively modern and sleek dining environment. A semi-private chef’s room will be available for small groups and special occasions. The room is flanked on two sides by temperature-controlled glass walls housing award winning wine selections. The room also allows guests a front row seat to look into the restaurant’s new exhibition kitchen. A new bar to the right of the restaurant’s main entry allows guests spacious ambiance to enjoy crafted cocktails, appetizers and good company before or after their meal in the main dining room.
From the Automobile Club of America (AAA) website, “the AAA Four Diamond designation represents some of the highest caliber hotels and restaurants in AAA’s Diamond Program.” AAA professional inspectors survey more than 60,000 hotels and restaurants throughout North America each year to determine the ratings of each. An added element of excellence, establishments are graded in person by professional inspectors and arrive unannounced, presenting themselves as any other guest.
AAA officials say only 4.2 percent of the 60,000 AAA Diamond hotels and restaurants make the Four Diamond list. In order to achieve the AAA Four Diamond distinction for hotels, the establishment is noted for “upscale style and amenities enhanced with the right touch of service,” according the agency’s two-page fact sheet. AAA profiles its inspection process in this YouTube Video. AAA Four Diamond distinction for restaurants must “feature distinctive fine dining, well-served amid upscale ambience,” also indicated in the fact sheet.
Pechanga Resort Casino is one of the largest resort and casino properties in the entire country. Guests can enjoy one of 1,100 rooms and suites, a two-story luxury spa, a four and one half acre pool complex, 20 restaurants and bars, 275,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, a championship golf course, expansive casino, and entertainment nearly every night of the week.
Important to AAA inspectors are ecological sustainability in an establishment’s approach, as well as the use of noted technology trends. The new resort tower added as part of Pechanga’s $300 million expansion in 2018 features energy saving features and low flow appliances, in addition to the property’s robust sustainability program. Pechanga also offers free Wi-Fi, 24-hour room service, high definition flat screen televisions, no resort fees, valet and self-parking.