PITTSBURGH -- A Pittsburgh hotel and two area restaurants have been awarded AAA's 2009 Four Diamond Award.

The Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, located on Sixth Street downtown, received its seventh Four Diamond Award.

The Renaissance is an iconic landmark Pittsburgh hotel where stunning architecture meets modern amenities in the heart of the city’s Cultural District. The hotel is housed in the classic Fulton Building.

“AAA Four Diamond Award winners, such as the Renaissance, consistently deliver a high level of hospitality in luxurious surroundings,” said Jim Lehman, Senior Vice President for AAA East Central. “To achieve and maintain this level of service for seven consecutive years is an amazing accomplishment, and AAA is pleased to honor the Pittsburgh Renaissance."

Eleven, located on Smallman Street in the Strip, has been awarded the AAA Four Diamond Award for the fourth consecutive year.

The popular restaurant is celebrating its 5-year anniversary in June and lots of events are in the works.

On Thursday, June 11, there's the Veuve Clicquot Wine Dinner. The dinner is $150 per person with reservations required. Guests can enjoy complementary chamapagne in the dining room on Friday and Saturday, June 12 and 13, and a Lounge Party is planned for 9 p.m. on the 13th. The weekend of celebration will end with "Wine for Charity" on June 14. 100 percent of wine by the bottle sales will be donated to the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank. Click here for more information.

LeMont, located on scenic Grandview Avenue, is the second Pittsburgh restaurant to receive the AAA Four Diamond Award this year. This is the 13th year that LeMont has earned this distiction.

“LeMont’s food is extraordinary, the decor is luxurious and the views of the city are unmatched,” Lehman said.

LeMont and Eleven join a select group of AAA Four Diamond winners. Just 2.8 percent of the 27,000 AAA rated restaurants throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean received the prestigious designation. Only 19 restaurants in Pennsylvania have received the award.

The Renaissance is also in exclusive company. 3.9 percent of the more than 31,000 AAA rated lodgings were awarded the prestigious AAA Four Diamond Award designation for 2009. Only 18 lodging establishments in Pennsylvania received the award this year.

AAA’s Diamond Rating System is the only ratings system that covers all of North America and one of only two that conduct physical, on-site evaluations.

The following criteria pertain to restaurants:

One Diamond Restaurant ♦
These establishments appeal to a diner seeking good, wholesome, no-nonsense eating at an affordable price. They typically provide simple and familiar, and unadorned foods served in a sensible, casual, or self-service style. Often quick service and family oriented.

Two Diamonds Restaurant ♦♦
These establishments provide for dining needs that are increasingly complex, but still reasonably priced. They typically exhibit noticeable efforts in rising above the ordinary in may aspects of food, service, and decor. Service is typically functional, yet ambitious, periodically combining informal style with limited self-service elements. Often well-suited to traditional, special occasion and family dining.

Three Diamond Restaurant ♦♦♦
These establishments impart an increasingly refined and upscale, adult-oriented experience. This is the entry level into fine dining. Creative and complex menus offer a blend of traditional and trendy foods. The service level is typically semi-formal with knowledgeable and proficient staff. Routinely, these restaurants appeal to the diner in search of an experience rather than just a meal.

Four Diamond Restaurant ♦♦♦♦
These establishments impart a luxurious and socially refined experience. This is consistent to fine dining. Menus typically reflect a high degree of creativity and complexity, featuring elaborate presentations of market-driven or traditional dishes. A cultured, professional, and highly proficient staff consistently demonstrates a profound desire to meet or exceed guest expectations. Restaurants of this caliber are geared to individuals with an appetite for an elite, fine-dining experience.

The following criteria pertain to hotels:

One Diamond Lodging♦
Establishment meets AAA’s basic requirements. They are modest, yet comfortable and designed for the budget minded.

Two Diamond Lodging ♦♦
Meet all of the criteria for a one-diamond but have enhanced furnishings.

Three Diamond Lodging ♦♦♦
Offer the guests a marked upgrade in physical attributes and services, comfort and amenities.

Four Diamonds Lodging ♦♦♦♦
Given to establishments that create a truly memorable experience for the guests. The lodgings feature a high level of service amid luxurious surroundings.