The crème of Victorian hospitality gathered this week to recognise the “Most Outstanding” in the hotel industry, at the 2022 AHA Victoria Awards for Excellence.
A crowd of 1,250 recipients, guests and VIPs packed out the Crown Palladium on Monday night in celebration of both the success of the winners and finalists, but also the spirit shown by the industry over the past few challenging years.
Achievements by venues and operators are acknowledged across 40 different categories.
“We also pay tribute to the contributions of staff working in pubs and hotels to ensure the success of our industry,” furthers AHA (Vic) CEO Paddy O’Sullivan.
A highlight of the night is the ‘Nikakis Benchmark Award’ and in 2022 this went to Gerry, Faye, Jane and Andy of the Lewis Family, for their many years of dedication at the Emerald Hotel, in South Melbourne, which has been skilfully positioned as the classic ‘small bush pub in the big smoke’.
More than 100 pubs were entered and voted on by the general public for the hotly contested ‘People’s Choice Award’. The winning favourite was staple of the South Gippsland community, the Middle Hotel in Korumburra, which was also a finalist for Regional Hotel of the Year.
Other notable on-trend wins included Best Live Entertainment, snatched by Richmond’s legendary Corner Hotel, and Best Pub Restaurant, served to the Griggs Group’s Terminus Hotel in North Fitzroy.
The major prize of Best Hotel Group Operator recognises a formidable force in hospitality and was taken out for the second year in a row by the trailblazing Sand Hill Road Group, who brought Melbourne such trophies as The Esplanade in St Kilda, the Garden State Hotel, the Prahran Hotel and the Terminus Hotel in Abbotsford.
Overall Hotel of the Year is always a tough decision between worthy candidates, but beating out the Terminus Hotel in Fitzroy North, and the Grand Hotel Warrandyte, and Melbourne’s Transport Hotel, was the esteemed Glenferrie Hotel of Hawthorn.
The Glenferrie also took home the gongs for Best Casual Dining and for Best Hotel Pub-Style Accommodation.
A full list of the 2022 winners can be found HERE.
