Downtown Renaissance hotel gets AAA's second-highest rating

Jeffrey Hassan, general manager, right, speaks with Sam Selim, left, of Chicago, in the busy lobby of the Renaissance Downtown Toledo Hotel on the first day of the official opening on August 2.

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The Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel has received a Four Diamond award from AAA, joining just a handful of hotels in the state to be awarded the auto club’s second-highest rating. 

Jeffrey Hassan, general manager, right, speaks with Sam Selim, left, of Chicago, in the busy lobby of the Renaissance Downtown Toledo Hotel on the first day of the official opening on August 2.

The hotel, which is owned by Chicago-based First Hospitality Group Inc., announced the award Monday.

“This rating acknowledges the hard work and dedication of our staff,” general manager Jeffrey Hassan said in a statement. “We are committed to exceeding guest expectations and providing a premier travel experience.”

The Renaissance Toledo Downtown is the only hotel in the Toledo area to receive the AAA Four Diamond Ranking. As of the beginning of the year, there were 18 hotels across Ohio with the designation. 

Ohio has no AAA Five Diamond hotels.

AAA says less than 6 percent of the almost 28,000 AAA-approved hotels have received a Four Diamond rating. 

To receive a Four Diamond rating, AAA says hotels must be refined and stylish with upscale attributes, extensive amenities, and a high degree of hospitality, service, and attention to detail. Those attributes are assessed during unannounced visits by AAA inspectors.

“To maintain the exceptional standards required for this rating on a daily basis is an outstanding achievement. AAA Four Diamond establishments are attentive to guests needs and consistently deliver memorable travel and dining experiences,” Michael Petrone, director of AAA Inspections & Diamond Ratings, said in a statement.

The Renaissance Toledo Downtown opened in August after undergoing a 20-month, $31 million renovation. 

The hotel was originally built in 1985 as a Hotel Sofitel. It operated under several flags in the years since, including Best Western, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, and Marriott.