Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, México (January 11, 2013) – For the third consecutive year since opening in 2008, Grand Velas Riviera Maya was awarded American Automobile Association’s (AAA) Five Diamond Award for lodging.  The exclusive resort obtained the maximum award of tourism excellence, given by the prestigious AAA to only 120 hotels among 60,000 properties judged to be of world class level.

 
Tony Perrone, Regional Manager Travel at AAA, predicted that this year will see a growth in North American tourism to Mexico and especially to the Riviera Maya, attracted by top luxury hotels like Velas Resorts.
 
“It’s an honor and privilege to recognize the notable success of Grand Velas Riviera Maya that continues to set the standard for the most luxurious vacation experience,” said Perrone on giving the AAA Five Diamond Award to Fernando Garcia Rossette, Managing Director of the exclusive resort located five minutes from Playa del Carmen in the Mexican Caribbean coast.
 
In a ceremony celebrated with special guests and directors of Grand Velas, Perrone reiterated that to win this distinction isn’t easy.  “With the extraordinary vision of the Velas family, they have built a property that exceeds the expectations of the most demanding visitors in terms of size of the suites, luxury, architecture, finishes, service and comfort,” said Perrone, who also cited the training of staff and great quality of the restaurants that rival any of the best restaurants in North America.
 
AAA has inspectors trained to evaluate everything from the guest’s point of view, from the moment a reservation is made, the friendliness and professionalism of the personnel, to the beauty and quality of service among other aspects. Inspectors visit anonymously.
 
“The future is brilliant for tourism to Mexico. In recent surveys of AAA, 53 million members that represent 25% of the population of the US and Canada reveal that almost 40% of our members will travel with a passport which means many will travel outside of the United States,” he concluded.
 
For more information or reservations, please call 1-877-418-2963 or visit http://www.rivieramaya.grandvelas.com.
 
About Grand Velas Riviera Maya:
Featured in Forbes’ roundup of the 10 Coolest All-Inclusive Resorts, the AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Maya, an all-suites and spa resort located five minutes from Playa del Carmen, is the latest and most sophisticated iteration of the ultra-luxury, all-inclusive resort experience.  This Leading Hotels of the World designated resort is the preeminent one of its class boasting 491 suites, each more than 1,000 square-feet, in three separate ambiances-- premium ocean-front Grand Class Suites with terrace plunge pools for families with children 12 and up, family-friendly ocean-view Ambassador Suites and Zen Grand Suites embraced by the flora and fauna of the Yucatan Peninsula’s jungle.  The resort presents a gastronomic tour of the Yucatan, Europe and Asia offering seven restaurants with world-class chefs from France, Spain and Mexico; dedicated butler service for each guest, and the region’s largest spa sanctuary at over 89,000 square-feet specializing in signature treatments inspired by ancient cultures from around the world.  The spa was named “Best Spa" in the world by Virtuoso and also earned a SpaFinder Readers’ Choice Award.  The resort was designed by lauded Mexican architecture firm Elias and Elias and features the sleek and modish interiors that fuse the serenity of the Caribbean with the vibrancy of Yucatan cultures.