Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company Tops AAA List Of Five And Four Diamond Properties

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC, led the 2015 American Automobile Association (AAA) Five and Four Diamond awards with 24 hotels earning the Five Diamond rating and 20 hotels earning the Four Diamond rating, including two of the newest additions to the portfolio, The Ritz-Carton, Rancho Mirage in Palm Springs, California, and The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami.

"We are proud to once again have the recognition by AAA with 24 Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts earning the five diamond rating. The exemplary service that our hotels continue to provide validates the commitment of our ladies and gentlemen to making our customers care and comfort their highest mission," said Herve Humler, president and chief operating officer, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

Hotels in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean were rated by the AAA inspectors who anonymously visit thousands of properties each year, carefully reviewing everything from guest room cleanliness to quality of service. Each year, more than 28,000 luxury hotels are reviewed and just 0.4 percent make it the on to the AAA Five Diamond list. "Attaining the Five Diamond Rating is an impressive accomplishment and a point of great pride for these top hotels," said Michael Petrone, director, AAA Inspections & Diamond Ratings.

A complete list of AAA Five and Four Diamond Ritz-Carlton Hotels includes:

Five Diamond Hotels

The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta
The Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park
The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common
The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead
The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun
The Ritz-Carlton, Central Park
The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte
The Ritz-Carlton, Denver
The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale
The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples
The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel
The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation
The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey
The Ritz-Carlton, Montreal
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples
The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco
The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota
The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto
The Ritz-Carlton, Washington D.C

Four Diamond Hotels

The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba
The Ritz-Carlton, Bal Harbour, Miami
The Ritz-Carlton, Coconut Grove, Miami
The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas
The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne
The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans
The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City
The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia
The Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix
The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage
The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan
The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach
The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis
The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas
The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner
The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester

‘Zou Bisou Bisou’: Sofitel New York’s Valentine’s Weekend Getaway Package Brings The City Of Love To The Big Apple

– Sofitel New York, the AAA Four-Diamond hotel with a decidedly French  accent, will bring all of its romantic French know-how to guests this Valentine’s Day weekend with a flirtatious Zou Bisou Bisou package that begs for just a little “kiss kiss” on the lovers’ holiday. Paired with a delectable dinner at Gaby Brasserie Française, the Midtown Manhattan hotel will bring the “City of Love” to the Big Apple.

On Feb. 13, a bottle of Champagne and a box of La Maison du Chocolat will await guests on arrival in their luxurious King Room, boasting views of the Manhattan skyline. A special delivery of a dozen red roses will accompany the next morning’s breakfast in bed, followed by a relaxing in-room couple’s massage by candlelight. Couples will enjoy a three-course Valentine’s Day Dinner at Gaby Brasserie prepared by Sylvain Harribey, the hotel’s award-winning executive chef and a winner of the Food Network’s Chopped, with a bottle of wine. The Zou Bisou Bisoupackage is available for stays Feb. 13-15 and is priced from $2,015, excluding tax and gratuity.

Chef Harribey’s distinctly French Valentine’s Day menu begins with a complimentary glass of berry Champagne. The three-course prix-fixe menu, priced at $140 per couple (exclusive of tax and gratuity) and available on Feb. 14 from 5 to 10 p.m., is as follows:

Entrée

Roulade

Mesclun salad with balsamic-marinated strawberries, herb goat cheese and

roasted tomato petals rolled in Serrano ham Lavash bread

or

Tartare de thon épicè

Ahi tuna seasoned with shallots, cilantro, and jalapeños served on a bed of avocado,

lotus root chips, and sauce “rouge”

Plats

Rack of Lamb & Tarte Fine Provençale

Oven roasted ginger-marinated rack of lamb served on a baked puff pastry

Provençal vegetable tart, with rosemary parmesan oil and frisée salad

or

Noix de St Jacques et Pommes Douces

Scallops two ways: Samosa, flavored with basil and mint wrapped in brick dough;

coated with wasabi sesame seeds; accompanied by sweet potato mash and Japanese vinaigrette

or

Heart Shaped Lobster and Ricotta Cheese Ravioli

sautéed kale, spicy red pepper coulis

Dessert

Ménage a Trois Trio de Desserts

Chocolate mousse tulip with Grand Marnier, raspberry macaron,

Sable Breton and salted caramel sauce

For reservations or more information, call 212-782-3091 or visit www.sofitel.com.

About Sofitel New York

Sofitel New York, open since 2000, is a stylish Midtown hotel with a decidedly French accent in its contemporary décor, sophisticated artwork, brasserie cuisine, and cosmopolitan service. It features 398 guest rooms, including 52 suites; function space that serves small to mid-sized events; and an outstanding brasserie, Gaby, whose French executive chef has won the Food Network show Chopped among other accolades. Sofitel New York is ideally located at 45 West 44^th Street, affording easy access to Fifth Avenue and the Times Square theater district. For reservations, call 800-SOFITEL (763-4835) or visit www.sofitel.com.