The Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park was highly commended in the business events venues category, while Tegan Skyllas from Rydges Sydney Central won Conference and Events Talent of the Year and Roberto Carrillo from Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour was highly commended in the same category.
Overall, the host of this year’s Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) conference, Rydges Resort Hunter Valley, won the Regional Superior Hotel of the Year category and Hilton Sydney won the same category for metro hotels.
Meanwhile, Little National Sydney won the mid-range hotel category and Capella Sydney won best metro deluxe hotel while Spicers Sangoma won best regional deluxe hotel.
Bells at Killcare on the Central Coast won the hotel redevelopment category following the addition of four tri-level two-bedroom lodges to the property, which opened in February this year.
More than 700 people attended the event at the Fullerton Hotel Sydney last Thursday. This was the first state awards ceremony in NSW since the formation of Accommodation Australia, which amalgamated the Australian Hotels Association and the Accommodation Association of Australia in July 2023.
The Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia have also had their state and territory level awards for 2024, with other states and territories to have their ceremonies later in the year before the national awards are held in November.
In Queensland, QT Gold Coast was a big winner, taking home overall accommodation hotel of the year and best meeting and event venue. The Langham, Gold Coast won best suite or apartment hotel and best deluxe accommodation. Meanwhile Crystalbrook Vincent in Brisbane won best superior accomodation and Sandstone Point Holiday Resort won best mid-range accommodation.
Notable winners in Western Australia include the Ritz-Carlton Perth, which won both best metro accommodation and best deluxe accommodation, and Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa in Broome, which won best superior accommodation and was inducted into the Hall of Fame for another win in the best regional accommodation category. Holiday Inn West Perth won the mid-range accommodation category in WA.
Hyatt Regency Perth won the award for best banquet, events and MICE team while Belinda Gertig from Tradewinds Hotel in East Fremantle, won the event manager category.
In the NT, Hilton Garden Inn Darwin won best mid-range accommodation while Mercure Darwin Airport won both best superior accommodation and best overall accommodation. The $30 million redevelopment of the Novotel and Mercure properties at Darwin Airport to create Australia’s first airport resort also got a nod for best redeveloped hotel accommodation.
Event manager at Darwin’s Pee Wee’s at the Point, Samara Glazbrook, won the marketing, sales and events employee category in the NT.
