Hotels Star at International Industry Awards      22 Apr 05
 
The region’s leading accommodation properties were recognised in Sydney last night at the 2005 HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence.

Held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Awards, which were hosted by media identity Tony Squires, recognised the hard work and dedication from individuals, departments and properties in the accommodation industry.

More than 360 industry leaders and key hotel staff attended the Awards, which featured over 200 finalists in 36 categories.

“The Awards celebrated the leading hotels and staff at properties across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific,” said James Wilkinson, editor of HM magazine. “The Awards are about recognising excellence in service and dedication to perfection. This region’s properties are without doubt some of the best in the world and many were showcased at the 2005 HM Awards.

HM - Hotel and Accommodation Management magazine - was the host for the Awards. Co-hosts for the event included the HMAA, AAA Tourism, Blue Mountains Hotel School, Foxtel and Hirum.

Leading the way in the Awards was the Mirvac Hotels and Resorts, which was judged Accommodation Chain of the Year; Longitude 131°, named Overall Accommodation property of the Year; and The Observatory Hotel Sydney’s Patrick Griffin, who took out the Australian Hotel Manager of the Year category.

Other key Australian winners included: Sea Temple Resort and Spa in Palm Cove, Queensland, for Best New Hotel; Angsana Resort and Spa Great Barrier Reef, Palm Cove, for Day Spa of the Year; InterContinental Sydney took out 5-Star Hotel and best Business Hotel; while The Grange at Hilton Adelaide was named top Hotel Restaurant.

In New Zealand, Hilton Auckland took the honours for CBD Hotel, while Wharekauhau Country Estate in Featherston won Regional Property. It was Hilton Auckland’s third win in a row at the HM Awards.

“The Awards not only recognised the top luxury hotels, but also motels, B&Bs and serviced apartments,” Wilkinson said.

Medina Grand Adelaide Treasury won the Serviced Apartment category, while Novotel Lake Crackenback took out Alpine Accommodation. The Lake House at Daylesford in Victoria was named top Regional Property.

It was also a night of success for South Pacific resorts, with Vatulele Island Resort taking out the Fijian Property of the Year and Le Meridien Ile des Pins winning South Pacific Property of the Year.

Nominations in the 2005 HM Awards were open to hotels and staff at properties across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

“More than 450 nominations were submitted for the 36 categories open for consideration in this year’s Awards.” Wilkinson said. “All nominations came from people working in the industry and were judged by a panel of independent travel and tourism specialists.”

A full list of winners is below.

2005 HM AWARDS WINNERS LIST

AUSTRALIAN PROPERTY CATEGORIES

1. SERVICED APARTMENT PROPERTY OF THE YEAR
Presented by HMAA
Medina Grand Adelaide Treasury

2. ACCOMMODATION UNDER 3 1/2 STAR RATING
Presented by AAA TOURISM
Travelodge Hotel Southbank

3. ACCOMMODATION 4 - 4 1/2 STAR RATING
Presented by FOXTEL
Hotel Lindrum

4. ACCOMMODATION 5 STAR RATING
Presented by BLUE MOUNTAINS HOTEL SCHOOL
InterContinental Sydney

5. BUSINESS HOTEL OF THE YEAR
Presented by MAGINET
InterContinental Sydney

6. RESORT OF THE YEAR
Presented by HIRUM
Hayman Island

7. BOUTIQUE HOTEL OF THE YEAR
Presented by GUEST INTERNATIONAL
The Observatory Hotel Sydney

8. UNIQUE ACCOMMODATION OF THE YEAR
Presented by ESSENCE
Longitude 131°

9. BEST NEW HOTEL (less than 12 months old)
Presented by HORWATH ASIA PACIFIC
Sea Temple Resort and Spa, Palm Cove

10. ALPINE ACCOMMODATION OF THE YEAR
Presented by HIRUM
Novotel Lake Crackenback

11. CONFERENCE HOTEL OF THE YEAR
Presented by FOXTEL
InterContinental Burswood, Perth

12. REGIONAL PROPERTY OF THE YEAR
Presented by HMAA
Lake House, Daylesford

13. HOTEL SPA OF THE YEAR
Presented by L’OCCITANE
Angsana Resort and Spa, Great Barrier Reef

14. HOTEL BAR OF THE YEAR
Presented by DMX MUSIC
Blu Horizon, Shangri-La Hotel Sydney

15. HOTEL RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
Presented by FIJI WATER
The Grange, Hilton Adelaide

16. HIGH-TECH HOTEL OF THE YEAR
Presented by FOXTEL
Crown Promenade Hotel, Melbourne

NEW ZEALAND, FIJI AND SOUTH PACIFIC PROPERTY CATEGORIES

17. NEW ZEALAND CBD PROPERTY OF THE YEAR
Presented by PIHMS
Hilton Auckland

18. NEW ZEALAND REGIONAL PROPERTY OF THE YEAR
Presented by PIHMS
Wharekauhau Country Estate, Featherston

19. FIJIAN PROPERTY OF THE YEAR
Presented by AAA TOURISM
Vatulele Island Resort, Fiji

20. SOUTH PACIFIC PROPERTY OF THE YEAR
Presented by BIMBADGEN ESTATE WINES
Le Meridien Isle des Pins, New Caledonia

PEOPLE & DEPARTMENT AWARDS

21. DEPARTMENT TRAINING INITIATIVE
Presented by BLUE MOUNTAINS HOTEL SCHOOL
2 winners:
Accor Australia “Job ready courses for over 50’s”
Conrad Jupiters

22. HOTEL CONCIERGE
Presented by CHARLES HEIDSIECK
Simon Matthews, The Observatory Hotel Sydney

23. HOTEL EXECUTIVE CHEF
Presented by CURTIN
Anthony Musarra, Radii, Park Hyatt Melbourne

24. HOTEL BARTENDER
Presented by CARLTON & UNITED BEVERAGES
Brian Duell, Water Bar, W Sydney

25. HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT MEMBER
Presented by HOSTEC
Suzy Hori, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney

26. SALES, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT MEMBER
Presented by AAA TOURISM
Deborah McDiarmid, Starwood Sydney Hotels

27. FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT MEMBER
Presented by HIRUM
Laurie Bellizzi, Langham Hotel Melbourne

28. ROOMS DIVISION DEPARTMENT MANAGER
Presented by AHS
Belinda Morosin, Four Points by Sheraton Darling Harbour

THE MAJOR AWARDS

29. BEST HOTEL MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Presented by HIRUM
Choice Hotels Australasia

30. SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY
Presented by BLUE MOUNTAINS HOTEL SCHOOL
Coconut Beach Rainforest Lodge, Qld

31. ACCOMMODATION CHAIN
Presented by FOXTEL
Mirvac Hotels and Resorts

32. OVERALL ACCOMMODATION PROPERTY
Presented by AAA TOURISM
Longitude 131°

33. SOUTH PACIFIC HOTEL MANAGER
Presented by HM MAGAZINE
Anne de Saint Pierre, InterContinental Bora Bora, French Polynesia

34. NEW ZEALAND HOTEL MANAGER
Presented by HM MAGAZINE
Peter Gee, Stamford Plaza Auckland

35. HMAA PROPERTY MANAGER
Presented by HMAA
Gordon Coutts, Medina Grand Perth

36. AUSTRALIAN HOTEL MANAGER
Presented by HM MAGAZINE
Patrick Griffin, The Observatory Hotel, Sydney