TripAdvisor: 78 awards for Bermuda

Various places around Bermuda continue to improve, according to the latest TripAdvisor rankings.

TripAdvisor, a website that lets users rank the various place and things they’ve done, has issued 78 Certificates of Excellence for Bermuda. That’s up four from last year and an astounding 53 more than were issued in 2012.

However, Bermuda lags behind Cayman, which had 156 places make their list. 

Bermuda had 19 accommodations, 23 attractions and 36 eateries that earned Certificates of Excellence.

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 travellers 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.

There is some criticism that the awards can be manipulated by false reviews from people who own the business.

The biggest number of changes occurred in the Attractions category. Four places did not earn a Certificate in 2014 that received one last year but 11 new places did.

Making the list again were: Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse, Dive Bermuda, Fort St Catherine, Port Royal Golf Club, Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo, Turtle Hill Golf Club, Hartley’s Undersea Walk, Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, Bermuda Maritime Museum, Fort Hamilton and Byways Tours.

The 12 attractions joining them were: Somerset Bridge Watersports, Par-la-Ville Park, Crystal & Fantasy caves, St Peter’s Church, Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Fantasea Diving, The Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art, Bermuda Perfumery, Rising Son II Catamaran, H2O Sports, UberVida, and Winsome Transport.

The number of eateries that won an award went down by five. The following nine eateries won the Certificate of Excellence for three years in-a-row: Fourways, Ascots, Waterlot Inn, Tom Moore’s Tavern, Rustico, Lido, Swizzle Inn, Mickey’s and the Dining Room at Gibbs Hill Lighthouse.

Also making the list were: Barracuda Grill, Bolero Brasserie, La Trattoria, Hog Penny, Port O Call, Flying Fish, Pickled Onion, Portofino, Blu Bar & Grill, Mad Hatters, Harry’s Lemon Tree Café, House of India, L’Oriental, Beau Rivage, The Swizzle on South Shore, Flanagan’s Irish Pub, Coconuts, Griffin’s Bistro and Bar, The Beach House at Blackbeard’s, Tavern by the Sea, The Spot, Beluga Seafood, Café Amici, Angelo’s Bistro and The Dockyard Pastry Shop. 

Five accommodations made the list this year that were not awarded a Certificate of Excellence in 2013. These include: Salt Kettle House, Greenback Guest House and Cottages, Sunflower Studios, Your Own Beautiful Bermuda Cottage, and Stardust Apartments.

Returning from last year were: Cambridge Beaches, The Fairmont Hamilton Princess, The Southampton Fairmont, Coco Reef Resort Bermuda, Pompano Beach Club, Rosedon Hotel, Royal Palms Hotel, The Reefs, Kingston B&B, Rosewood Tucker’s Point, Grotto Bay Beach Resort, Fourways Inn, Garnaway Guest House & Cottages, and Newstead Belmont Hills Hotel.

John Jefferis, owner of Coco Reef Bermuda, said: “Winning the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence is a true source of pride for the entire Coco Reef Bermuda team and we would like to thank all of our guests who took the time to complete a review on TripAdvisor. 

“There is no greater seal of approval than being recognized by one’s customers. As the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence is based on customer reviews, the accolade is a vote of confidence in our resort, our management team led by outstanding general manager Vince Angelo, our wonderful staff and our continued commitment to service excellence.  We are truly grateful for the recognition we have received from our customers and TripAdvisor.”