BUFFALO, N.Y., June 5, 2009 – AAA Western and Central announced its 2009 AAA Four Diamond Awards winners during a ceremony at the New York Wine & Culinary Center in Canandaigua on Thursday. AAA and the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection co-sponsored the event and acknowledged the recipients’ contribution to the state’s travel and tourism industry.

“AAA Four Diamond Award winners are an elite group, committed to providing a luxury experience, superior service, and an extensive selection of amenities,” said David Gevanthor, Vice President of Travel for AAA Western and Central New York. “AAA is pleased to honor our ‘all-stars’ and thank them for their contribution to the travel and tourism industry.”

AAA’s 2009 Four Diamond Award recipients:
(Numbers in parenthesis denote the number of years awarded)

Lodgings:

• 1795 Acorn Inn, 4508 SR 64 South, Canandaigua, (13)
• Aurora Inn, 391 Main Street, Aurora, (4)
• Geneva on the Lake, 1001 Lochland Road, Geneva, (8)
• The Lodge at Turning Stone, 5218 Patrick Road, Verona, (4)
• The Mansion on Delaware Avenue, 414 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, (6)
• Mirbeau Inn & Spa, 851 West Genesee Street, Skaneateles, (5)
• Morgan-Samuels Inn, 2920 Smith Road, Canandaigua, (6)
• Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel, 310 Fourth Street, Niagara Falls, (3)
• The Tower at Turning Stone, 5218 Patrick Road, Verona, (3)

Restaurants:

• The Erie Grill, 41 North Main Street, Pittsford, (5)
• Giverny, 851 W. Genesee Street, Skaneateles, (5)
• Wildflowers at Turning Stone, 5218 Patrick Road, Verona, (3)

In New York State, there are 41 AAA Four Diamond accommodation winners. Only 17 are located outside of New York City, in Upstate New York. Of the 48 AAA Four Diamond restaurants, 11 are in Upstate New York. AAA Four Diamond Award winners represent only 3.4 percent of the 58,000 AAA/CAA Diamond Rated lodgings and restaurants throughout North America and the Caribbean.

Travel and tourism is one of the state’s leading industries, employing over 756,000 with an annual payroll of $13 billion, according to the New York State Department of Economic Development. Each year, travelers spend $37 billion in New York State.

The AAA Four Diamond symbol will be included in each property’s listing in the 2009 AAA New York State TourBook® guide, in print and online at AAA.com. AAA’s 51 million members depend upon TourBook information to assist them with their travel-related decisions. An establishment’s diamond rating is often the deciding factor when members choose a lodging or restaurant.

AAA began field inspections of lodgings and restaurants in 1937. This early evaluation system evolved into the AAA Diamond Rating System for lodgings in 1976 and for restaurants in 1986.

More than 65 AAA/CAA tourism editors visit over 60,000 lodgings, campgrounds, restaurants, and attractions each year throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Tourism editors conduct unannounced evaluations of lodgings and restaurants, scrutinizing such areas as cleanliness, ambiance, amenities, and service.

As Upstate New York’s largest member services organization, AAA provides nearly 880,000 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.

The recipients of the AAA Four Diamond Award for 2009 are pictured (back row, left to right) Gerad Hardy of Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel; Sheryl Gagliardi, Nicole Smigliani, Renee VanDeventar, and Max Hitchcock of the Mirbeau Inn & Spa and Giverny; Steven Kolodji of the Aurora Inn; Andrew Lee of the Turning Stone Casino & Resort; Julie Sullivan and Brad Smith of Morgan Samuels Inn; (front row, left to right) Sheryl Mordini of 1795 Acorn Inn; John Freezee of the Erie Grill; Dennis Murphy of The Mansion on Delaware Avenue; Roxanne Lucenti and Karen Ramirez of the Turning Stone Casino & Resort; William Schickel of Geneva on the Lake; and John Sullivan of Morgan Samuels Inn.