SALT RIVER PIMA-MARICOPA INDIAN COMMUNITY, Ariz., March 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The luxurious Talking Stick Resort, which opened last spring, has received a Four Diamond Rating from American Automobile Association (AAA) for its exceptional physical attributes and high level of guest services.

"Only about three and one-half percent of the lodging properties in North America receive a Four Diamond rating from our evaluation teams," informs Michael Petrone, Director of AAA Tourism Information Development. "Typically only the most luxurious and pampering venues obtain such a high rating."

He said that ratings are determined by AAA inspectors who annually conduct some 32,000 on-site evaluations and review a lodging property in 12 critical service areas where they measure more than 300 guest interaction points ranging from reservation service to guest services to cleanliness and decor.

Steve Gerken, senior director of hospitality Talking Stick Resort, said, "This rating signals to the traveling public and meeting planners that, while we're new on the nation's full-service resort landscape, our facilities and services are highly advanced and rank among the best available anywhere.  We're proud to display the AAA Four Diamond Award."

The 15-story resort houses 497 deluxe rooms, a 240,000 sq. ft. casino, a spa, 650-seat showroom, a spacious conference center, 25,000 sq. ft. grand ballroom, six entertainment lounges and five restaurants/eateries.  

Talking Stick Resort was developed by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRP-MIC), a sovereign tribe with 9,000 members, located in Scottsdale, Ariz.  Its name pays tribute to the rich culture and history of the tribes.  It refers to a "calendar stick," a long piece of wood maintained by several tribal members, on which records of significant events were recorded by mnemonic emblems such as water signifying a flood or a sun and moon denoted an eclipse.  

SOURCE Talking Stick Resort