More than 900 people gathered at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Tuesday to celebrate the best of the state’s hospitality industry in the 2023 AHA|SA Hotel Industry Awards for Excellence.

Three South Australian hotels took out top honours in their class.

The Cremorne Hotel won the coveted title of Best Overall Hotel – General Division. Following a transformative renovation, it reopened in September 2021 embracing a vibrant and casually elegant ambiance.

The Unley venue also claimed the awards for Best Bar Presentation and Experience Metropolitan and Best Bistro Casual Dining – Inner Metropolitan.

McLaren Vale Hotel claimed the title of the Best Overall Hotel – Country as well as Best Redeveloped Country, in recognition of the impressive redevelopment of the historic 1850s hotel.

The McLaren Vale Hotel also won the W.T. Spurr AO Award for Tourism & Regional Promotion, in acknowledgment of its contribution and promotion of the McLaren Vale region.

Photo: Simon Casson

AHA|SA CEO Anna Moeller said the industry body was “delighted” to honour all the winners across more than 40 categories.

“The AHA|SA Hotel Awards for Excellence is a celebration of the accomplishments of SA’s hotels, where we come together to celebrate their outstanding facilities, service and delivery,” Moeller said.

Mount Lofty House was awarded the honour of Best Overall Hotel – Accommodation Division, in recognition of its excellence throughout the hotel, including accommodation, dining, functions and customer service, while the Sequoia Lodge at Mount Lofty House won Best Luxury Hotel Accommodation.

Mount Lofty House’s Christopher Speck

In the awards for individuals, Mount Lofty House also shone with its guest relations manager, Christopher Speck recognised with the Employee Excellence in Service – Accommodation Division.

With a strong background in customer service, Speck has been instrumental in assisting with the development of Mt Lofty’s ‘Welcome Home’ check-in experience; this is the second time he has won the award.

The Employee Excellence in Service – General Division award was taken home the Daniel Hall, of the Alma Hotel, Willunga.

Hired as a Duty Manager, Hall is also a qualified chef and has developed menus and assisted the kitchen where required, while keeping the front of house working smoothly.

Chef of the Year went to Adelaide Oval executive chef Philip Pope, who leads a diverse, award-winning culinary team of over 85 people and is the mentor behind one of the largest kitchen apprenticeship programs in the state – a reflection of his dedication to shaping the next generation of South Australian culinary talent.

Renee Daniell of the Penneshaw Pub was recognised as the Hotel Industry Rising Star and commended by the judges for her personal dedication, leadership and commitment.

This year’s awards saw joint winners for the Meeting & Events Venue – Accommodation & Specialist Division in Adelaide Oval and Eos by SkyCity.

The 251-room, French-inspired Sofitel Adelaide was recognised with the award for Deluxe Hotel Accommodation, while the Restaurant Accommodation Division award went to The Playford Hotel for its Luma Restaurant, which was also recognised elsewhere last month for its stunning design.

In the state’s regions, noky @ The Henty in Mount Gambier took home the award for Bar Presentation & Experience­ – Country, Port Lincoln Hotel won Outdoor or Non-Enclosed Facility – Country, Dalrymple Hotel at Stansbury won Bistro Casual Dining – Country for which the Greenock Hotel was commended, and Middleton Tavern garnered the Gaming Venue – Country award, for which Bridgeport Hotel was also commended.

Berri Hotel took home the award for Community Service & Support. Investing its profits back into the local community, the hotel sponsors and supports 15 community events and 16 sporting clubs, a school breakfast program a plus an annual scholarship for a year 12 student.

All the winners will now be entered into the AHA National Hotel Awards, to be held in Adelaide on 27 November.

See the complete list of award winners here.