Tortuga Bay, the luxury boutique hotel designed by Oscar de la Renta, has been honored with The AAA Five Star Diamond Award for 2011. The hotel is the first in the Dominican Republic and one of only four hotels in the Caribbean to ever receive this distinction.

The AAA Five Diamond Award for hotels and restaurants is reserved for properties that exemplify the highest level of excellence in every facet of operation. Only one-third of 1 percent of the over 31,000 properties approved by AAA achieve this designation.

Tortuga Bay, which opened at the PUNTACANA Resort & Club in 2006, has received much attention for its guest experience, including VIP transport from the airport, access to the exclusive Bamboo Restaurant and Six Senses Spa, and ability to play the resort’s two golf courses, the Tom Fazio-designed Corales and P.B. Dye-designed La Cana. The many amenities available to guests make the PUNTACANA Resort & Club the Caribbean’s premier golf and beach resort destination.

“We are sincerely honored and humbled for Tortuga Bay to be recognized by both AAA and American Express with these prestigious honors” said Frank Rainieri, President and CEO of Groupo PUNTACANA. “The focus at Tortuga Bay has always been to create a memorable experience for our guests and I am so proud that the hard work of our staff is being rewarded in such a wonderful way.”

This honor follows this month’s earlier announcement that the hotel was named to the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts Program. The program is a Card benefit of U.S.-issued Platinum and Centurion® Cards, where in Card members enjoy special amenities when staying with luxury partner hotels around the world. 

“It is our goal that guests are treated with incomparable service from the moment their plane touches down in Punta Cana,” said Vincenzo Calcerano, General Manager of Tortuga Bay. “It is easy to have a relaxing trip when you are in a setting as beautiful as PUNTACANA Resort & Club, staying in a luxurious villa. However, it takes more than that to make a trip unforgettable. It is our job to ensure an unbelievable experience for all guests who choose to stay with us, and I’m so pleased that our staff is being recognized for their efforts.”

Tortuga Bay is a Leading Small Hotel of the World and a member of Virtuoso and Signature Travel Network.