Hilton Baltimore receives AAA four-diamond rating

The Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel has been awarded an AAA Four-Diamond rating, the auto club announced Thursday.

This is the first year the Hilton Baltimore, which opened in August 2008, was recognized by the auto club. The rating may be able to give a boost to the hotel, which like many lodging properties nationwide has struggled during the economic downturn.

City officials had hoped the 757-room hotel, a publicly financed project that cost $301 million, would elevate Baltimore as a destination. While the Hilton Baltimore has met many goals, including paying its debts and luring some convention groups to the city, officials are not certain when the hotel will turn a profit.

The ratings were revealed during the Maryland Tourism and Travel Summit in Ocean City, where Gov. Martin O'Malley spoke about the importance of the hospitality industry to the state's economy.

"While there is still much work to be done before our economic recovery transforms into prosperity, top-quality hotels and restaurants are an essential ingredient to any economic turnaround," O'Malley said.

AAA also honored nine other Maryland hotels and two restaurants with the four diamond rating. Most were repeat winners, including the InterContinental Harbor Court Baltimore, which received the top rating for the 23rd consecutive year in a row. The Hilton Suites Ocean City Oceanfront was the only hotel in Ocean City to receive the rating. The Loews Annapolis Hotel was singled out in Annapolis.

Four diamond restaurants Charleston's in Baltimore and Sherwood's Landing at the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels were the only restaurants to receive four diamonds.

The auto club employs about 65 full-time evaluators, who assess the cleanliness, ambience, amenities and service for hotels and restaurants. AAA rates hotels and lodgings on a scale of one to five diamonds. Of the 60,000 properties the auto club inspects each year, only 2 percent receive the AAA Four-Diamond rating.