Since 2011, the Certificate of Excellence honours hospitality businesses that deliver consistently great service across the world. This designation is presented to approximately 10% of total businesses on TripAdvisor that have consistently achieved great reviews over the past year. There is no application process for the Certificate of Excellence, and the achievement is earned over time.

To qualify for a Certificate of Excellence, a hotel must:

- Maintain an overall TripAdvisor rating of at least four out of five
- Have a minimum number of reviews
- Have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least twelve months. A business must be listed for the full 12-month qualifying period between April 1 to March 31 to be considered. Recipients are announced only once a year in late May.