TripAdvisor hands out 74 awards

A whopping total of 74 places in Bermuda received TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence this year. That compares to just 25 in 2012.

A spokesperson for TripAdvisor told the Bermuda Sun “To qualify for the Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor, and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the last 12 months.”

All 25 places that won in 2012 repeated in 2013.

The vast increase in number this year was due to the number of restaurants that made the list. In 2012 just the following 10 eateries won the Certificate of Excellence: Fourways, Ascots, Waterlot Inn, Bacci, Tom Moore’s Tavern, rustic, Lido, Swizzle Inn, Mickey’s and the Dining Room at Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse. 

But this time around they were joined by 31 more restaurants that ranged from Paraquet to Harry’s to House of India. 

That meant 41 of 143 restaurants in Bermuda won the award. 

Last year just three attractions won TripAdvisor’s award: Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse, Dive Bermuda and the original Swizzle Inn , giving it the distinction of the only place to win one for both the attractions and eating categories.

They were joined by 12 more attractions in 2013: Aquatic Bermuda, Dockyard Glassworks, Segway of Bermuda, Fort St Catherine, Port Royal Golf Club, Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo, Fairmont Southampton Golf Course, Hartley’s Undersea Walk, Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, Bermuda Maritime Museum, Fort Hamilton and Byways Tours. 

This was the most exclusive category for awards as just 15 of the 183 attractions in Bermuda won an award.

Only six new hotels and guest cottages made the list: Fairmont Hamilton Princess, Rosedon, Royal Palms, Granaway Guest House & Cottages, The St George’s Club, and Kingston House B&B.

New winners

They joined Coco Reef Resort, Cambridge Beaches, the Fairmont Southampton Resort, Elbow Beach Resort, Fourways Inn, Clairfont Apartments, The Reefs, Newstead Belmont Hills, Grotto Bay Beach, Pompano Beach Resort, Rosewood Tucker’s Point and Pink Beach Club & Cottages. 

JP Martens, the general manager of Grotto Bay, said in a press release: “We strive to offer our customers a memorable experience, and this accolade is evidence that the hard work of our great team here at Grotto Bay is translating into many positive traveller reviews on TripAdvisor.”

The top three rated hotels in Bermuda by TripAdvisor are: Rosdeon, Royal Palms and Pompano.

Clairfont deserves special mention. It also won the Travelers’ Choice 2013 bargain Winner award and is rated as the 18th best deal in the Caribbean. 

None of Bermuda’s hotels made the top 25 Hotels in the Caribbean, the top 25 Small Hotels in the Caribbean nor the top 25 B&B in the Caribbean.

The top three restaurants on TripAdvisor are Mad Hatters, Barracuda Grill and Ascots.

The top three attractions are: Horseshoe Beach, Warwick Long Bay and Port Royal Golf Course.