Press Release: Hall of Fame

For immediate release:

Black Orchid Resort

 AWARDED TRIPADVISOR CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE YEARS

Inducted into ‘Hall of Fame’ of Five-time Certificate of Excellence Winners on the World’s Largest Travel Site

CITY, STATE/COUNTRY – May 22^nd  2015 – Black Orchid Resort, Burrell Boom Village, Belize District today announced that it has been recognized as a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame winner.  The Certificate of Excellence award celebrates excellence in hospitality and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve great traveler reviews on TripAdvisor. The ‘Hall of Fame’ was created to honour those businesses that have earned a Certificate of Excellence for five consecutive years.  Winners include accommodations, eateries and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a superior customer experience. 

EXAMPLE QUOT “Being awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence five years in a row and inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ is a true source of pride for the entire team at Black Orchid Resort and we’d like to thank all of our past guests who took the time to complete a review on TripAdvisor,” said Beverly Dawson, Operations Manager at Black Orchid Resort. “There is no greater seal of approval than being recognized by one’s customers. With the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence based on customer reviews, the accolade is a remarkable vote of confidence to our business and our continued commitment to excellence.  Black Orchid Resort has been ranked #1 on the TripAdvisor Customer Satisfaction Index in the Belize District for over 9 years”.

"Winning the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for five consecutive years is a remarkable feat. TripAdvisor is pleased to induct five-time award winners into the ‘Hall of Fame’,” said Marc Charron President, TripAdvisor for Business. “By putting a spotlight on businesses that are focused on consistently delivering great service to customers, TripAdvisor not only helps drive an improvement to hospitality standards around the world, it also gives businesses both large and small the ability to shine and stand out from the competition.”

When selecting Certificate of Excellence winners, TripAdvisor uses a proprietary algorithm to determine the honorees that take into account the quality, quantity and recency of reviews and opinions submitted by travelers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period as well as business’s tenure and ranking on the Popularity Index on the site.  To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

-ENDS-

Black Orchid Resort

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor^® is the world's largest travel site*, enabling travelers to plan and book the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find the best hotel prices. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 340 million unique monthly visitors**, and more than 225 million reviews and opinions covering more than 4.9 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 45 countries worldwide. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to millions of monthly TripAdvisor visitors.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 24 other travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl and www.besttables.com), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, www.virtualtourist.com, and www.kuxun.cn. 

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, December 2014

**Source: Google Analytics, average monthly unique users, Q1 2015

Contact:

Douglas Thompson

Owner

Black Orchid Resort

douglas@blackorchidresort.com

www.blackorchidresort.com

cell: 633-8288

Cave Tubing

Experience one of the most popular activities in Belize!

Cave Tubing is an activity very specific to Belize. It is a stroll in a creek where you sit on a tube and are transported by the current, guided by a professional. But before you will walk around 30 minutes through the jungle alongside the river. During one hour, you will pass under dark caves and their wonderful cavities that you will discover thanks to your headlamps. These caves are called "Xibalba" that means "Mayan hell", it is a real underground world. Cave tubing is a not-to-be-missed activity in Belize that you have to add to you to-do list!

Xunantunich

Discover the mysteries of the Mayan civilization!

Xunantunich is a Mayan archeological site situated near the border of Guatemala. In only two hours, you will have crossed all the country, from the East to the West. On the way to the site, you will see Belmopan, the capital of the country, and San Ignacio, the biggest city after Belize City. You will also perceive the famous "sleeping giant". It is a mountain range that has the shape of a lengthened giant when you approach it.

Xunantunich is known since 1938. The site is famous for its frescoes of stucco on the main pyramid that still are in a good state of preservation. The highest temple of Xunantunich is called "El Castillo" and you can climb to its summit if you are willing to. It seems unfeasible when you face it from the bottom but you will arrive at the top rapidly without being aware of it! From above, you will have a stunning view of the border between Belize and Guatemala and its amazing scenery. Thanks to your guide you will learn more about the Mayan civilization, its lifestyle and its faiths.

Belize Zoo by Night

Enjoy a behind the scene tour at night!

The Belize Zoo is only 30 minutes away from the Black Orchid by car. The Belize Zoo only welcomes animals native from Belize, so you will not see giraffes or lions etc. They all were wounded, abandoned or confiscated from owners who raised them illegally.

It is an exciting experience that I recommend; it will give you the opportunity to see animals by night, like you have never seen them before. Of course, you will not see all the animals of the zoo because some of them are sleeping. For instance, you will see owls, jaguars, puma, tapirs, howler monkeys, kinkajou and a lot of other animals native from Belize.

It is a really special atmosphere because you will have the impression to be in the middle of the jungle at night, with the sounds of all of the animals’ footsteps that we hear during the tour. But do not worry; you are absolutely safe! The atmosphere is much more impressive when howler monkeys start to howl. To give you an idea what it sounds, the shouts of these monkeys were recorded in order to make the roaring of the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park!

Discover Altun Ha

Enjoy a unique experience at Altun Ha! 

Altun Ha is a Mayan archaeological site situated approximately about 40 minutes from the Black Orchid Resort by car. A lot of Mayan sites in Belize were destroyed but fortunately some of them remain, such as Altun Ha, a place where almost 10 000 people used to live. This site is known because this is where archaeologists have found numerous sculptures made from jade. Today, the site is a protected reserve on which archaeologists continue to work. It is possible to climb at the top of the temples for a clearer view of where and how the Mayas lived. You will also have the opportunity to go at the summit of the temple of the Sun God, which is the biggest of the site. It is also the one on which the Mayas made their human sacrifices.

Our guide will be here to teach you more about the Mayan civilization and its history; so do not hesitate to ask him all of your questions!

 At the end of the tour, you will be able to discover some typical souvenirs from Belize. They are mainly hand-made of mahogany by local people. You will find a large variety of art such as traditional masks or small wooden flutes.