Four Diamond winners honored as hospitality elite by AAA

AAA Four Diamond Awards presented to 15 properties in upstate New York

AAA Western and Central New York recently announced its 2015 class of AAA Four Diamond Award winners during a ceremony at the New York Wine & Culinary Center in Canandaigua. AAA and the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection co-sponsored the event and acknowledged the recipients' contribution to New York's travel and tourism industry.

"Four Diamond hotels and restaurants provide guests with a personalized experience and attentive service in comfortable, high-quality surroundings," said Tony Spada, president and CEO of AAA Western and Central New York. "These establishments consistently exceed the expectations of the most discriminating traveler - the AAA inspector. We are proud to have these dedicated businesses in our region."

Establishments at the AAA Four Diamond rating level make up just 3.8 percent of the more than 58,000 AAA/CAA-approved hotels and restaurants. In 2015, AAA Western and Central New York honored 14 hotels and one restaurant in upstate New York.

2015 AAA Four Diamond Award recipients:

(Parenthesis denotes first year awarded)

Accommodations

Aurora - Aurora Inn (2005)

Aurora - E.B. Morgan House(2010)

Buffalo - The Mansion on Delaware Avenue (2003)

Canandaigua - 1795 Acorn Inn (1996)

Canandaigua - Morgan-Samuels Inn/BB & Spa (2003)

Geneva - Geneva On The Lake (2001)

Ithaca - The Statler Hotel at Cornell University (2010)

Niagara Falls - Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel (2006)

Pittsford - The Del Monte Lodge, A Renaissance Hotel & Spa (2010)

Salamanca - Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel (2009)

Skaneateles - Mirbeau Inn & Spa (2004)

Verona - Lodge at Turning Stone (2005)

Verona - The Tower Hotel at Turning Stone Resort (2006)

Watkins Glen - Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel (2010)

Restaurants

Verona - Wildflowers at Turning Stone (2006)

In New York, there are 72 AAA Four Diamond accommodation winners. Only 23 are located outside of New York City. Of the 46 AAA Four Diamond restaurants, only 10 are located outside of New York City. Statewide, there are 118 AAA Four Diamond establishments, ranking New York third in North America.

Travel and tourism remains a vital and growing component of the New York economy. According to the most recent statistics from Tourism Economics, visitors to New York spent more than $59 billion in 2013.Travel and tourism is the fourth largest employment sector in New York, equivalent to one in 12 jobs.

Travelers can find Diamond-rated establishments and inspector insight in AAA trip planning products: the AAA mobile app for tablets and smartphones, the desktop and mobile versions of the TripTik travel planner online mapping and routing tool, searchable travel guides on AAA.com and AAA TourBook guides available to members at AAA offices.

For 79 years, AAA has used professional inspectors to conduct in-person property inspections. AAA offers the only rating system using comprehensive, on-site professional hotel and restaurant evaluations guided by member priorities. With a far greater inventory than any other rating entity, AAA's rating system covers the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

As upstate New York's largest member services organization, AAA provides nearly 860,000 members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1900, AAA has been a leading advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.

Visit AAA at www.AAA.com or download its mobile app at www.AAA.com/mobile.