The Stirling Hotel was the recipient of the coveted Best Overall Hotel – Metropolitan. A destination pub and favourite with Adelaide Hills locals, the hotel was recognised by the judges for its constant innovation and consistently high standard in dining, service and retail.
AHA/SA general manager Ian Horne said the industry awards, which are recognised as the most prestigious in the state’s hospitality industry, included new categories for 2022.
“This year the lens was widened for the first time to honour the Best Overall Hotel in 3 categories – metropolitan, regional and accommodation,” said Horne.
Community-owned Loxton Hotel
The recently redeveloped Loxton Hotel took home Best Overall Hotel – Country. The historic, community-owned hotel on the Murray River also won Best Bar Presentation and Experience – Country and Best Redeveloped Hotel – Country, recognising its new sports bar, dining and accommodation offerings.
Regional experiences were further highlighted on the night with the inaugural WT Spurr AO Award for Tourism & Regional Promotion being awarded to the Watervale Hotel.
The award is named in honour of industry icon Bill Spurr who passed away in July and was a pivotal force in the state’s tourism and economic development sectors.
The Watervale Hotel also took out the honours for Best Restaurant – General Division Country for the third year in a row. The corresponding metropolitan award for Adelaide’s Best Restaurant went to 2KW, also winning its third consecutive award.
Eos by SkyCity
Eos by SkyCity cemented its reputation for luxury accommodation by winning Best Overall Hotel – Accommodation Division and Best Deluxe Hotel Accommodation.
The hotel, which opened in December 2020, was also a joint winner with 2KW for Best Outdoor non-enclosed Facility – Metropolitan.
Horne congratulated all the winners of the 2022 Hotel Awards for Excellence, who will now go onto the national awards held in November.
He said, “South Australia can rightly claim to have some of the best establishments in the nation, from city to country, from the local pub to the luxury 5-Star hotel, and despite a challenging few years, South Australian hotels are continuing to raise the bar in terms of innovation, presentation and service.
“We are immensely proud to be representing this incredible industry.”
The 2022 AHA|SA Hotel Industry Awards for Excellence was held on Tuesday 18 October at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. 900 people attended this premier event featuring South Australian Entertainment, Hindley Street Country Club and The Cast, and hosted by Mark Soderstrom.
