I was on travel assignment in Cancún for several days, checking out the Mexican tourist mecca and the rapidly developing Riviera Maya, the stretch of Caribbean coast between Cancún and Tulum. Also in town was Inspector 37, who was busy with his annual roundup of lodging and restaurant evaluations.

On my last day I met 37 for a late breakfast at Vips, a popular restaurant right in the middle of Cancún’s Hotel Zone. By the way, their huevos motuleños—two fried eggs, peas and diced ham atop a crispy tortilla covered in tomato sauce, with pureed black beans and slices of fried banana on the side—are muy delicioso. “What’s shakin’ this afternoon?” I asked.

“Five Diamond inspection. Really nice resort property. Want to come along?”

“Heck yeah. Cool beans, amigo.” This should be fun. Not only will I get to ogle everything, but where we were going was only a 5-minute walk away. After I polished off the last forkful of black beans and the last pieces of banana on my plate, we left the restaurant and strolled on over.

This hotel’s spacious atrium lobby is a delightfully cool respite from Cancún’s tropical heat. You enter to the welcome feel of air conditioning, but a welcoming member of the staff also hands you a damp cloth for a little facial pick-me-up. That’s the kind of personal touch that distinguishes a Five Diamond from the rest.

While 37 chatted with the front desk head honcho I took a spin around the casually elegant lobby, with its slick marble, massive flower arrangements, easy chairs arranged in comfy seating areas and beautiful stained-glass ceiling mosaic. Now this is understated beachside resort luxury.

Then we were taken upstairs, where we met the general manager. After this casual meeting—I was a bit intimidated, but he was friendly—we joined the small group that was accompanying 37 on the evaluation, which would involve rooms and suites on different floors. Keep in mind that I’m a travel writer, not a hotel inspector. Oh I can tell a lumpy mattress from a nice firm one, and I’d sure know if the coffeemaker wasn’t functioning properly. But a thorough evaluation, especially of a Five Diamond property, is an exercise in nuance. I was watching a guy with 21 years of experience in the field checking things that never would have occurred to me. He had a rapt audience—after all, their diamonds were on the line—but I have to admit that my attention eventually strayed to the balcony, which from an eighth-floor vantage point offered superb views of incredibly turquoise water and the hotel’s huge, lagoon-like swimming pool below.

An amusing incident occurred on our way to one room. Everyone momentarily stopped in a wide hallway above the atrium while 37 and two members of the management team engaged in an inspection-related discussion. About 20 feet away a maintenance guy clad in overalls was pushing a cart. For all I know he could have been off to change a light bulb, he was minding his own business and the conversation didn’t stop. But the cart had a squeaky wheel. It wasn’t overtly loud, but it was noted by the eagle-eyed woman in our party, who shot the guy a look that said “COOL IT!” Not a word was spoken, but he froze in his tracks and stood silently until we all got on an elevator at the far end of the hall. That’s power.

I had my camera with me and asked one of the management reps if there was a nice vantage point where I could take some photos. “Si, señor.” We took an elevator to the 11th floor, where there was access to an outdoor observation deck. The view was dizzying—you could see how Cancún Island is shaped just like the number 7, and also how narrow the Hotel Zone is (barely a quarter of a mile wide). And the water looked so intensely turquoise it was surreal.

The subsequent room inspections were more of the same, so my interest in observing the process flagged a bit. But I can see why an evaluation at this level of luxury is a very big deal. And although my own budget certainly doesn’t embrace a Five Diamond stay, I learned a few things that I might put to use the next time I find myself in a Two Diamond hotel.

And how did this particular hotel fare? Not to worry—those five diamonds are intact.