by Kelly Potts
Cress on Oak Creek is celebrating 27 years as a AAA Four Diamond restaurant in Sedona. As one of the luxury offerings in Sedona Cress was immediately recognized for its creatively prepared and skillfully served culinary experiences and retained its status on the AAA Diamonds list following its recent upscale renovations.
“Attaining and sustaining the Four Diamond Rating is an impressive accomplishment and point of pride for restaurants and resorts,” said Lisa Fell, director of communications for AAA Arizona. “We congratulate the staff at Cress on Oak Creek for enhancing their already distinctive dining experience.”
“We are so honored to have been recognized with AAA’s Four Diamond rating. Our goal at Cress on Oak Creek is to provide a restaurant that stands alone as a fine-dining experience and emulates our truly spectacular creekside location here in Sedona, and our amazing team has worked hard to achieve this,” said Managing Director, Greg Hanss. “Sedona is currently in the midst of a culinary revival, and Cress seeks to draw on that energy by focusing on locally sourced ingredients and working with local purveyors to create elevated, and constantly evolving seasonal menus.”
AAA’s inspector noted the following about Cress on Oak Creek: This restaurant offers elegant, yet modern surroundings. The talented chef offers a three or four course option for dinner. Menu selections may include steelhead trout, Arizona venison and Snake River Farms Kobe beef. The terrace allows for seasonal creekside dining.
AAA has been inspecting and approving lodgings for nearly 80 years. The One to Five Diamond rating system is the only system that covers the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. AAA Five Diamond properties represent just 0.4 percent of the more than 58,000 AAA/CAA Approved and Diamond-rated hotels and restaurants. Candidates for the rating undergo multiple unannounced evaluations and a final decision by a panel of experts. Inspectors meticulously evaluate guest services and physical attributes, closely examining the level of competence, refinement and hospitality, from reservations to checkout for hotels and from seating to presentation for restaurants.
AAA’s chart of lodging and restaurant criteria are available online. A complete list of Arizona Four and Five Diamond properties is available at az.aaa.com/diamonds. AAA is the largest travel agency in North America. Visit AAA.com/travel for more information.
