Luxury hotels have had an especially tough time in today's economy, with occupancy rates falling as much as 57 percent this year. It's led some hotels to give up their upscale ratings— but not all. In fact, AAA recently announced that it awarded Five Diamond status to 113 hotels for 2010, which is, impressively, an increase from 103 last year. "The past year has presented many challenges for the travel industry," said Michael Petrone, director of AAA Tourism Information Development, in a statement. "To achieve and maintain the highest level of hospitality during these difficult economic times is a significant accomplishment."
The new Five Diamond award winners are:
• The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale
• The Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach
• Acqualina Resort and Spa on the Beach in Sunny Isles Beach
• The Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas
• Encore Las Vegas
• The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas
• The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast, California
• The Grand Del Mar in San Diego
• The Plaza Hotel in New York
• The Pierre New York
• Mandarin Oriental Boston
• Encantado, An Auberge Resort in Sante Fe, New Mexico
• The Ritz-Carlton Dallas
• The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort in Punta Mita, Mexico
• Rosewood Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
• Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya
Other noteable achievements:
• The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin, celebrated a quarter-century as a Five Diamond winner
• The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado; The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia; and Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Scottsdale have maintained a Five Diamond rating for 34 consecutive years
Visit AAA to view more Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants.
Last week I blogged about options for 
Just a stone's throw from Boston, Cambridge is a convenient alternative for meeting planners. Sharing Boston's convenient port of entry—Logan International Airport—and its top-notch convention facitlies, such as the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Cambridge's various special event venues make it stand out as a great New England destination all on its own.
Labor Day is just around the corner, so it's time for everyone to squeeze in one last getaway. Based on more than 30,000 hotel room booking requests made through its Name Your Own Price hotel service, Priceline has released its 7th annual top 50 destinations for Labor Day. 
Looking for exclusive 

Another holiday weekend is upon us, which means it's time to find out where everyone will be going. Priceline.com has released a list of the 50 most popular destinations for the 2009 Independence Day weekend, based on a survey of over 30,000 hotel booking requests made by customers.
May 9 through May 17 is National Travel and Tourism Week! The U.S. Travel Association wants meeting professionals like you to participate in this "annual salute to the power of travel."