CAA/AAA 2010 Four and Five Diamond Awards: Excellence recognized!

QUEBEC , Feb. 8 /CNW Telbec/ - Home to fully one quarter of Canada's Four Diamond-rated restaurant and hotel establishments, Quebec stands out as a choice destination when it comes to appreciating sophisticated service and exquisitely crafted cuisine. Moreover, with three out of the six Canadian establishments awarded Five Diamond status, the province has consolidated its ranking among 2010 "very best of the best" as rated by the Canadian and American Automobile Associations (CAA and AAA).

Trailblazers of excellence...

Each year, some 58,000 restaurants and hotels all over North America as well as in the Caribbean receive ratings of between one and five Diamonds. Of these, barely 0.28%, or 165 establishments, earn the prestigious Five Diamond distinction. In Canada , six establishments achieved that plateau, including three in Quebec alone: Le Baccara at the Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau and Nuances at the Casino de Montréal garnered the distinction for the 10th year in a row, while Toqué! restaurant in Montreal marks its fifth year as a member of the select club.

... motivating the up-and-comers.

This tradition of excellence in Quebec is beneficial to consumers, of course, but also to all industry players, who see it as an incentive to raise their standards. Case in point: 2010 sees three new establishments achieve the Four Diamond rating for the first time. They are the Westin Montréal and Hôtel Le Germain , also in Montreal , in the accommodations category, along with Quebec City's La Tanière, in the restaurant category. With 29 restaurants and 33 hotel establishments rated Four Diamonds, Quebec is the envy of its neighbours, since only 3.5% of the 58,000 establishments rated - that is, 2,016 - received this honour.

"Year after year, these virtuoso performers redouble their efforts to meet standards of quality that are unique in North America ," notes Paul A. Pelletier, President and CEO of CAA-Quebec. "We can be justly proud of our Four and Five Diamond establishments: they are nothing less than bona fide ambassadors for the restaurant and lodging industry."

A world-renowned rating system

Recognizable by the distinctive diamond logo, rated establishments are listed, among other places, in the TourBook travel guides published each year by the CAA and AAA and available free to their approximately 50 million members. The full list of Four and Five Diamond hotels and restaurants can also be found in the About Us section on the www.caaquebec.com.

The CAA/AAA rating program is the only one that applies to the whole of North America . The CAA and AAA started rating establishments in 1963, and the diamond symbol was chosen in 1977. Every year no fewer than 60 CAA/AAA tourism experts conduct exhaustive assessments of the 58,000 establishments seeking a diamond rating, which is recognized worldwide.

CAA-Quebec, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1904, provides automotive, travel, residential and financial services and privileges to its one million members.

For further information: Montréal: Brigitte Roussy, [phone], ext. 3210, [email protected]; Québec: Philippe St-Pierre, [phone], ext. 2418, [email protected]