Award Criteria & FAQs
Overall criteria
Please find here the list of all categories that can be nominated for in 2026. To be eligible to enter the QHA Awards for Excellence program you must be a current financial member at the time of nomination and the awards evening.
Hall of Fame
Any licensed venue that wins the same QHA Award for Excellence category for three consecutive years will automatically be inducted into the Hall of Fame the following year. These inductees are then ineligible to nominate in that same category until two years have passed.
AHA National Awards
The AHA National Awards for Excellence will be held on Monday, 30 November 2026. In the event that you are a category winner at our state/territory awards and have previously advised of your inclusion into the national awards, the AHA National Office will be in touch with you after the event.
In addition, if you are nominated for an accommodation category that requires overnight stay for judging purposes (i.e. Best Luxury, Deluxe, Superior, Lifestyle/Resort, Mid-range, Suite/Apartment, Regional and Best Hotel Accommodation), you will also be invoiced for the cost of one night’s accommodation and breakfast for two people (where required). Proof of overnight stay receipts will be presented for this reimbursement of expense. This revised system will remove the requirement for any hotel accommodation vouchers to be provided and presented as has been the case in the past.
The AHA National Awards for Excellence is an industry showcase of Australia’s very best in hospitality and accommodation. Further, it provides a fitting platform for the recognition of management and employees, as well as being an excellent marketing accolade for your venue.
Divisions
General Division refers to a business operated under a license type that is not ‘commercial other’ — subsidiary on premise accommodation or an accommodation property operating under a commercial hotel license.
Accommodation Division is a hotel whose primary business is providing accommodation. You may have a bar/restaurant at your venue, but your primary purpose is providing accommodation.
Metropolitan includes an urban population of more than 150,000 people. Metropolitan includes areas such as Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Ipswich, and Cairns.
Regional venues are within an area of less than 150,000, such as Mackay, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Gympie, Maryborough, Mt Isa, and Warwick.
Judging
State judging is conducted by an independent body of industry leaders appointed by the QHA to represent a broad range of expertise within the hospitality sector. To maintain the integrity of the process, the QHA is not involved in the judging of venues.
Judges are chosen for their professional knowledge and experience, with their identities kept confidential to ensure impartiality.
The judging will take place between Friday, 6 February 2026 and Sunday, 15 March 2026, with specific dates and times undisclosed to the venues.
Photos
Three photographs must be included for each award submission. These must be in high resolution format (JPG, GIF) with at least one hero shot of the exterior of the hotel. If applying for individual staff awards, a photo of the staff member must be provided.
These photographs will be used for the main presentation on the evening of the awards ceremony and must be of acceptable quality.
Receipt of nomination
A formal ‘Receipt of Nomination’ will be forwarded to the email contact provided upon submitting your nomination via the QHA website. If you do not receive the receipt of nomination, check your spam folder first, then contact the QHA to ensure your nomination has been received.
Entry Deadline
Midnight Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Unfortunately, we are unable to accept submission after this deadline.
FAQ's
How can I nominate my venue?
Nominations are only accepted via nomination form.
What do you expect from my nomination?
Each award category has a standard set of criteria. These criteria can be found here. A paragraph per criteria outlining why your venue meets or exceeds the criteria is all that’s required, as well as three high-res photos of the venue that you have permission for us to use at our discretion.
An example of a submission can be found here.
I am submitting for an accommodation award. What is required as part of my entry?
In 2023, the QHA made the decision to align all of its awards with the Australian Hotels Association National Awards judging process. In addition to the listed criteria and nomination cost, an additional accommodation supplement will be included as part of your submission to cover the cost of the overnight stay at your venue. This is instead of an accommodation voucher, so we can streamline this process appropriately.
Can I be invoiced?
Yes. During the online submission process, simply select the option to request an invoice. We will then be in contact with the point of contact for the submission to organise an invoice.
I can't find the FaceCruit link for the individual awards?
These are found in the individual award criteria sheets linked under the nomination information or here:
- Chef of the Year
- Front of House Employee of the Year - General
- Front of House Employee of the Year - Accommodation
- Employee Excellence in Service - General
- Employee Excellence in Service - Accommodation
- Hotel Industry Rising Star
What are the key dates?
Key dates can be found here
How much does it cost to nominate?
The entry fee is charged per venue, not per group, regardless of the number of categories you enter.
- Early Bird Fee (submissions received 3rd – 31st December, 2025): $149.00 inc. GST per category
- Standard Fee (submissions received 1st – 22nd January, 2026): $199.00 inc. GST per category
Accommodation Reimbursement
Hotels nominating in any of the following categories will be invoiced to provide one night's accommodation in a room of your selection plus car parking, if required.
- Best Hotel/Pub Style Accommodation
- Best Mid-Range Accommodation
- Best Suite/Apartment Hotel
- Best Superior Accommodation
- Best Deluxe Accommodation
- Best Lifestyle/Resort Accommodation
Will we be notified when we are being judged?
No. Judging is an anonymous process, and you will not know that you are being judged until the end of the judges visit.
Can I receive feedback if I am not successful?
Yes. After the awards have been presented on Monday, 1 June 2026, you can request a copy of your judges score sheet.