The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, August 2017 …BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, announces that 23 of its properties have been honored with the 2017 TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence, which recognizes top-rated hotels, restaurants and attractions in the United States and globally. The Certificate of Excellence is determined by traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site. Twelve Benchmark Resorts & Hotels and eleven Gemstone Collection properties received the coveted recognition, one of the travel industry’s most prestigious awards.

“This is an exceptional honor for Benchmark, coming only a year after our successful merger with Gemstone Hotels & Resorts,” says Alex Cabañas, CEO of Benchmark. The merger increased the company’s portfolio to a total of 70 properties and 8300 guest rooms in the US, Caribbean and Japan. Benchmark has since added two more properties to Benchmark Hotels & Resorts and two to Gemstone Collection.

“We are especially proud that, based on guest reviews of each of our hotels and resorts, all are in the top 10% of properties globally in terms of traveler reviews,” Mr. Cabañas said. He noted that several properties were repeat winners and that the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center won for the sixth consecutive year.

These exceptional properties span beach and golf resorts, urban hotels, boutique properties, ski lodges and conference centers. Located in America’s most popular cities and travel destinations, the winning hotels include:

Benchmark Resorts & Hotels Chaminade Resort & Spa – Santa Cruz, CA Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort – Curaçao Turtle Bay Resort – North Shore, Oahu, HI Eaglewood Resort & Spa – Chicago, IL The Heldrich – New Brunswick, NJ Edith Macy Conference Center – Briarcliff Manor, NY Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa™ – Pigeon Forge, TN The Chattanoogan – Chattanooga, TN Hotel Contessa – San Antonio, TX Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center – Roanoke, VA The Inn at Virginia Tech – Blacksburg, VA Stonewall Resort – Roanoke, WV

Gemstone Collection Spanish Garden Inn – Santa Barbara, CA Garden of the Gods – Colorado Springs, CO Tivoli Lodge – Vail, CO Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa – Vero Beach, FL Marenas Beach Resort – Sunny Isles Beach, FL Villas of Grand Cypress – Orlando, FL Ames Boston Hotel – Boston, MA Copley Square Hotel – Boston, MA The Essex Resort & Spa – Essex Junction, VT Topnotch Resort – Stowe, VT Willows Lodge – Woodinville, WA

Photography Link to Benchmark Resorts & Hotels, Gemstone Collection properties: http://www.benchmarkglobalhospitality.com/press/high_res_gallery/