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TUCSON - Tucson has moved ahead of Phoenix in the number of resorts and restaurants making the AAA-Arizona four-diamond list for 2013.

"The more people that learn about the high five and four diamond properties we have will result in more people going and checking them out," said Valarie Vinyard, the public affairs specialist at AAA Arizona.

This will give Tucson a competitive edge during the economic downturn.

The Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa is just one of 12 Tucson properties that made the cut.

It's the resort's eleventh year as a four diamond rated resort in Tucson.

Steve Wroblewski, from Sand Diego, is staying at the Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa with his husband, Ed Desantis.

"Having the resort buried in the Foothills of the mountains is very nice because in the mornings you can see where the sun is and the different shadows it casts," said Wroblewski.

The city hopes Tucson's new spot on the list will boost tourism.

"With the recession, with the after affects of Senate Bill 1070, it's been a difficult couple of years for us here in the Tucson marketplace," said Brent DeRaad, President and CEO of the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau.