We have had a visit by the AA Hotel Inspector and have since accredited us with a 4-star Gold rating for 2012-2013!
The AA Inspector's summary (in brief) read:
Congratulations, your establishment has been awarded the AA Gold Star Award for 2012-13.
This
award reflects your establishment's positioning within your star band
based on your score from your last AA visit, compared to the scores of
other establishments, at the time of our guide going to print.
AA 4 Star Gold Award
Guest Accommodation From
large luxury hotels to snug country inns, the Top Hotels are our best
hotels in the country. They are selected from each of the star-rating
levels for their exceptional quality of accommodation and customer
service.
AA inspectors determine a quality score as a
percentage to cover all aspects of a guest accommodation, including
service. The score is then represented as a Star rating. Gold Stars
indicate that the establishment is within the upper 10% of the quality
score range nationally for that star rating. | 
