TripAdvisor’s 2012 Certificate of Excellence Awards honor top businesses around the world

We are excited to announce the 2012 Certificate of Excellence Awards, given to highly rated hotels, restaurants and attractions around the world.

“From exceptional accommodations in Beijing to remarkable restaurants in Boston, we want to applaud these businesses for offering TripAdvisor travelers a great customer experience,” says Christine Petersen, president of TripAdvisor for Business.

How are the winners determined?

The winners are determined by those who matter the most – your guests. The key to winning the award is consistently excellent service: properties had to maintain an overall ranking on TripAdvisor of four out of five. The volume of reviews in the past 12 months was also a determining factor.

Is this award different than the Travelers’ Choice Awards?

Yes. The Certificate of Excellence Award is an extension of Travelers’ Choice. While Travelers’ Choice recognizes the top 25 properties or destinations in different categories and geographical locations, the Certificate of Excellence award focuses on hotels, restaurants and attractions that provide exceptional customer service and consistently receive positive reviews from their guests.

How can I find out if I won a Certificate of Excellence?

In addition to receiving the certificate in the mail, winners will receive an e-mail notifying them that they have won the award. A 2012 Certificate of Excellence widget will also appear in the Management Center under the “Online Marketing tools” section.

Congrats to all of the winners! Check back here tomorrow for tips on how to promote your Certificate of Excellence Award! 

Hotel brand La Quinta introduces mobile innovations

We’ve seen more and more evidence that hotels are starting to pay attention to the mobile lifestyle of today’s travelers. And now one brand is taking new leaps into the digital world, with innovations aimed at making it easier to choose and book a hotel room. The first brand to ever do so, La Quinta now allows you to hold a hotel room reservation via your smartphone…using only your telephone number. No other identifying information is initially required. The room will hold for up to four hours, during which period – whenever you choose – you can enter credit card information to confirm your stay.

The new mobile site also integrates TripAdvisor reviews for its hotels, letting travelers browse comments and ratings before booking. This makes La Quinta the first hotel brand to ever add TripAdvisor reviews directly to its mobile site. According to USA Today, these features will also be added to La Quinta’s regular website in the next few months.

La Quinta introduces this “Instant Hold” technology and other new mobile features here:

We’ll be watching for what other on-the-go travel innovations emerge this year for savvy travelers.

 

TripAdvisor to enhance security with business representative verification

We are excited to introduce an enhancement to our security measures on TripAdvisor, aimed at helping us prevent fraud and further protecting the site’s integrity for travelers and businesses alike. Beginning in the next few weeks, all business representatives on TripAdvisor will need to complete a new identity and business affiliation verification process.  It’s straightforward, and we’re available to help if you have questions!

Vacation rental reality coming soon to PBS

If you are a Vacation Rental Owner and wish there was more exposure for the industry, we have some good news for you!

Getting Away Together is a new PBS reality TV show launching in October 2011 and produced by the Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA). The show will focus on diverse groups of families and friends staying in vacation rental properties across America and should give the vacation home, villa, and condo lodging segment a major boost in terms of public awareness.

Each show will center around a different group of travellers, from friends getting away together to family reunions, as they enjoy discovering a new place and exploring a vacation rental.

TripAdvisor is proud to be one of the sponsors of the show. The series will air on PBS member stations nationwide, and is produced by the Emmy Award-winning PineRidge Film & Television Company.