A pair of luxury hotels in Toronto and New York City are the newest properties to receive the AAA Diamond Program’s highest designation. The Hazelton Hotel in Toronto and Waldorf Astoria in New York City have earned AAA Five Diamonds for their stunning surroundings, thoughtful amenities, and unparalleled service, the Canadian Automobile Association and the American Automobile Association announced. I haven’t been to the recently renovated Waldorf in Manhattan, but I’ve stayed at the Hazelton Hotel in Toronto’s trendy Yorkville district a couple of times, and dined there on several occasions. It’s an elegant property that definitely worthy of Five-Diamond Read more
American Automobile Association
A new poll from suggests rising fuel costs will keep Canadians close to home this Canada Day weekend. But not everyone is convinced they really mean it. A CheapOair.ca Canada Day Survey found that a majority of Canadians (52%) stated that they would be staying home for Canada Day, and roughly 27% said that they would only drive a short distance. With gas prices setting records for all-time highs, it is not surprising that people are being more selective with their driving. More than 70% of respondents stated that the out-of-control gas prices have affected their Canada Day plans. “It’s Read more
Cruise vacations are still a favourite choice among Americans, according to new consumer research from the American Automobile Association. Forty-one percent of U.S. residents say they are considering a cruise in the future. Millennials are even more eager, as more than half (52%) say they are ready to take a cruise. AAA Travel booking data shows that cruising is making a strong comeback, with 2022 bookings nearing pre-pandemic levels. Of those Americans who say they are likely to cruise again, 41% cite a better understanding of the risks presented by COVID-19 as influencing their decision. “The cruise industry has done Read more
Canadians are booking trips to Europe and the U.S.. Cruise companies are expanding rapidly. And new hotels are being built in Canada around the world. The latest RBC consumer tracking figures for Canada finds that travel spending recently touched pre-COVID levels for the first time as pandemic restrictions eased. “The domestic tourism recovery continues to outpace international travel but Canadian spending on restaurants and hotels abroad has also been rising,” RBC said. Meanwhile, the American Automobile Association this week said cruise bookings during the past four weeks are twice as high as this time last year. Just 612 Canadians visited Read more
Canada has a new five-diamond hotel. And it’s a local success story. The American Automobile Association and Canadian Automobile Association last week quietly released their new list of top-rated hotels and restaurants in Canada and the U.S., and it gave the (relatively) new Four Seasons hotel in Toronto a coveted five-diamond rating. That brings the number of Canadian properties with five-diamond status to five in Canada: the Four Seasons in Toronto’s Yorkville area, the Ritz-Carlton Toronto downtown, the Ritz-Carlton in Montreal, the Four Seasons in Whistler, B.C. and the Shangri-La in Vancouver. Which means Ontario is the only province with Read more
