BUFFALO, N.Y. (Jan. 9, 2009) – Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts operates two of the top hotels in the world, according to popular travel magazine Travel + Leisure. The Ahwahnee in Yosemite National Park and The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel in New Hampshire made the magazine’s list of the 500 best hotels in the world. The list is featured in the publication’s January issue.

Travel + Leisure’s international team of reporters and editors again searched the globe for the best and highest-rated hotels it could find. The seventh annual list includes hotels, inns and lodges from six continents.

“We’ve always known The Ahwahnee and The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel are special and unique places and we’re happy to see the properties receive this prestigious honor,” said Kevin Kelly, president of Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts. “Our company is privileged to have the chance to help tell their stories.”

In addition to being part of Delaware North’s portfolio, the properties share other commonalities. Both are listed in the National Register for Historic Places and are set against captivating natural backdrops. The Ahwahnee is located in the heart of Yosemite Valley with views of Half Dome and El Capitan. The Balsams is nestled in the Great North Woods in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. In addition, each one receives its share of attention and accolades. The Balsams was recently ranked 35th on Conde Nast’s list of best 100 hotels in America, receiving a perfect score for its food. One of The Ahwahnee’s latest honors came from Nation’s Restaurant News. The food-and-beverage publication inducted the lodge’s famous dining room into its fine dining hall of fame. 

Delaware North owns and/or operates 14 other distinctive lodging properties in North America, including seven others in Yosemite: Wawona Hotel, Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, Curry Village, Housekeeping Camp, White Wolf Lodge, Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and the High Sierra Camps. In addition, Delaware North owns and operates Tenaya Lodge and the Apple Tree Inn at the south entrance to the park, and built and operates for the National Park Service Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia National Park. The company also owns and operates Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa in British Columbia, Canada, a historic hotel that dates back to the Gold Rush. Finally, under contracts with state parks departments, Delaware North operates Gideon Putnam Resort in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, Calif.; and The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake in Ohio.

Travel + Leisure characterizes itself as the premier chronicler of the way the world travels now. The magazine examines the places, the ideas, and the trends that define modern global culture.

# # #