The Pierre hotel, re-opened this year after a $100 million renovation, has been awarded a 2010 AAA Five Diamond rating, an accolade that recognizes it as among the best in North America. This award puts the Pierre solidly in the elite group of just 113 five diamond hotels across America, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

"We are honored to receive this award in our first year of re-opening," said Heiko Kuenstle, general manager of The Pierre. "It is a tribute to our staff and our pursuit of excellence. Our determination, from the moment we took over management of this hotel in 2005, has always been to be recognized as among the very best hotels in New York - which of course is tantamount to ranking among the world's best. We say that with a full understanding that our job now only gets harder and that is to live up to the five diamond rating, every day and in every interaction with every guest."

Raymond Bickson, CEO and managing director of Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces said, "Taj has always prided itself on running some of the best hotels in Asia, a fact that has repeatedly been acknowledged in international ranking going back decades. In India, our home base, Taj has always been synonymous with the very best. We are just delighted with this AAA Five Diamond award because it is an acknowledgment that Taj style and ongoing pursuit of excellence have been successfully transferred to North America."

The $100 million renovation of the Pierre involved updating and reconfiguring just about every public space and guest room in the hotel, with an eye firmly on creating an elegance that suits both the Fifth Avenue history of this iconic hotel and the realities of the 21st century. The renovation involved bringing new thinking to meeting the needs of today's global traveler.

The AAA Five Diamond rating is considered North America's premier ratings system, with the organization's professionally trained evaluators inspecting more than 58,000 hotels annually. Less than one percent of the over 31,000 properties approved by AAA achieve this prestigious designation.

The Pierre, on Fifth Avenue overlooking New York's Central Park, first opened in 1930. The iconic hotel with 189 guestrooms, including 49 suites, was acquired by Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces as the luxury chain's U.S. flagship in 2005. The Pierre, a member of Leading Hotels of the World, re-opened June 1, 2009, following a $100 million renovations program to redesign all guestroom and bath interiors and add a new restaurant, Le Caprice, and a new destination lounge and bar, Two E. To book reservations: 1-800-743-7734 or www.tajhotels.com/pierre.

Established in 1903, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is one of Asia's largest and finest groups of hotels, comprising 65 hotels in 48 locations across India with an additional 15 international hotels. Taj is part of the Tata Group, India's premier business house. For more on Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces: www.tajhotels.com.