AAA Announces Five Diamond Award Hotels for 2011

AAA announced last Friday this year’s winners of one of the most prestigious awards for excellence in the hospitality industry: The Five Diamond Award. One hundred and twenty four hotels and fifty-five restaurants in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, were awarded with the travel authority’s highest and most exclusive ratings, which marks a notable first for Caribbean nations, St. Lucia and the Dominican Republic.

Director of AAA Tourism Information Development, Michael Petrone, commented in a release: “It is truly a significant accomplishment to achieve the highest level of hospitality; however, the ultimate challenge is to continuously exceed guest expectations on a continual basis.”

 AAA first began field inspections of lodgings and restaurants in 1937, but the Diamond Rating System was not introduced until 1976. In addition, AAA is one of the only rating systems that cover establishments across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

With the 18 new additions this year – 15 lodgings and three restaurants – there has been an overall increase in Five Diamond Award recipients, making the this year’s total number of awarded establishments: 179, as opposed to 165, in 2010.  The new additions awarded the 2011 Five Diamond Award are as follows: 

New Five Diamond Restaurants:

Winvian (in the Winvian), Morris,Conn.

Lumière, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Carolina at the St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, Punta Mita, Nayarit, Mexico

New Five Diamond Lodgings:

·        The Ritz-Carlton, Denver, Colo.

·        Winvian, Morris, Conn.

·        The St. Regis Atlanta Hotel & Residences, Atlanta, Ga.

·        Elysian, Chicago, Ill.

·        Trump International Hotel & Tower, Chicago, Ill.

·        The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common, Boston, Mass.

·        Aria Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nev.

·        Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, Nev.

·        Trump International Hotel & Tower, New York, N.Y.

·        The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte, N.C.

·        Four Seasons Hotel Houston, Houston, Texas

·        Tortuga Bay Punta Cana Resort & Club, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

·        Jade Mountain Resort, Soufriere, St. Lucia

·        Le Blanc Spa Resort, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico

·        Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort Riviera Maya, Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

 For more information, and to access AAA/CAA Diamond ratings, please visit, www.AAA.com.

 *Photo of Bed Design at Jade Mountain, 2011 Five Diamond Award Winner.