Cottonwood Falls, KS (WIBW) - A home away from home in the heart of the Tallgrass Prairie is celebrating a continued mark of excellence.

AAA Kansas executive vice president Jim Hanni presented the organization's Four Diamond Award to the Grand Central Hotel in Cottonwood Falls.

It's the 13th consecutive year it's received the distinction.

“Four Diamond lodgings and restaurants represent the best the hospitality industry has to offer. This property has consistently delivered a high level of personal comfort and attention to every guest. To achieve and maintain these ratings for 13 consecutive years is a remarkable accomplishment, and we are honored to present this establishment with the Four Diamond Award designation for 2010,” Hanni said.

The Grand Central Hotel is the state's only Four Diamond historic country inn and restaurant.

More on AAA Four Diamond Ratings:
Representing the highest echelon of the hospitality industry, AAA Four Diamond establishments make up just 3.5 percent of the 58,000 AAA/CAA Diamond Rated lodgings and restaurants throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. AAA Four Diamond lodgings offer guests a wide range of amenities and services.

The assignment of an AAA rating of One to Five Diamonds marks the completion of a successful annual evaluation by one of AAA’s professional inspectors. Individually, AAA inspectors conduct an average of more than 1,100 property evaluations per year and, collectively, have some 700 years of industry experience. The average inspector tenure is 12 years, with the longest being 28 years. AAA inspectors work remotely and bring significant prior industry experience to the association.

AAA’s Diamond Rating System is the only ratings system that covers all of North America and one of only two that conducts physical, on-site evaluations. It is the only system that uses professionally trained inspectors to evaluate each property using guidelines made available to all establishments. AAA evaluates more properties than any other rating entity. Information about AAA Diamond Ratings and the complete 2010 Four Diamond Award winners list is accessible at AAA.com/News.

AAA Diamond Ratings are published in AAA TourBook® travel guides, which are available free to AAA members. All travelers can access the searchable listings of AAA Diamond Rated properties using the Travel Guide on AAA.com and through AAA’s popular online mapping tool, the TripTik® Travel Planner. One click on the handy map icons opens AAA listings, many with photos, from AAA’s database of 58,000 AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants.

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.