The Sanderling Resort & Spa, a beachfront resort in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, joins their signature restaurant, The Left Bank, with a AAA Four Diamond Award. This honor distinguishes The Sanderling as the first and only AAA Four-Diamond resort in the Outer Banks.

“We are thrilled to be an AAA Four Diamond award-winning resort,” says Dick McAuliffe, general manager of The Sanderling. “Our staff is committed to providing impeccable service for each and every guest and we are honored by this remarkable distinction. The Sanderling has been a favorite retreat for generations of families and we look forward to continually improving the experience.”

Not a newcomer to prestigious honors, The Sanderling recently announced a 2011 AAA Four Diamond distinction for its destination restaurant, The Left Bank. The Outer Bank’s only AAA Four-Diamond restaurant has received this award for seven years running.

Fresh on the heels of a refreshed new look to all guestrooms, The Sanderling kicks off the summer with a host of new experiences, from tracking wild horses in an open air jeep and astronomy lessons on the beach, to shrimp boils and pig pickin’s with live music and Sunday family-style dinners. The Sanderling Resort & Spa is an independently owned beachfront property in Duck, North Carolina. The resort features 88 guestrooms and suites and five rental homes, with views of the Atlantic Ocean and Currituck Sound.

The Sanderling Resort & Spa, 877-650-4812, www.thesanderling.com