August 11, 2014

Westwinds3 alerted us on August 8, 2014 to the following news release published by PRNewswire, a UBM plc company on August 5, 2014: Grupo Vidanta Grand Luxxe Nuevo Vallarta Resort Earns Prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award Designated for Top 0.25% of Global Hotel Properties - Vidanta is only membership-based resort in the world to receive top honor.

This is quite an honor, especially since Vidanta is the only membership-based resort in the world to receive this high honor. According to the author of the release, AAA reviewed 32,000 properties in its most recent update. Only 0.25 percent received an AAA Five Diamond designation.

Highlights of the Grand Luxxe offering as stated in the press release include "access to exclusive private beaches and pool areas, a Nicklaus-designed golf course with a Greg Norman championship course under construction, the luxury Spatium & Brio Fitness Center, nighttime entertainment at the Santuario, an array of fine-dining or casual restaurant options and a boutique shopping experience at the newly opened La Plaza market, restaurant and shops."

The Grand Luxxe Resort Nuevo Vallarta received the AAA Four Diamond designation in 2013. Other Vidanta resorts that have received Four Diamond designations are the Grand Bliss and Grand Mayan in Nuevo Vallarta and the Grand Mayan Riviera Maya. Less than five percent of the 32,000 hotel or resort properties approved by AAA receive this Four Diamond award.

Other resorts in Mexico that have achieved the Five Diamond level include Capella Pedregal Resort and Spa (2013) in Cabo San Lucas, Las Ventanas al Paraiso (A Rosewood Resort) (2002) in San Jose del Cabo, Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit (2007) in Nuevo Vallarta, Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Mexico (2001), The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort (2009), and the following resorts in Playa del Carmen: Fairmont Mayakoba (2007), Grand Velas Riviera Maya (2010), Rosewood Mayakoba (2009) and Secrets Maroma Beach Riveria Cancun (2013). These are some very fine, well recognized names that have achieved the Five Diamond status.

Congratulations to all those hard working employees of Grupo Vidanta for helping to bring about this impressive award.

The award will be officially announced in November, 2014.

Seems we are all pretty lucky, don't you think?