From the CEO ANNA MOELLER

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This issue of Hotel SA celebrates excellence in our industry – and something far deeper.

Yes, awards nights are a time to shine a spotlight on the stars of our sector. But they are also an opportunity to hold up a mirror to ourselves – to reflect on what we’ve achieved as an industry and what we aspire to become.

The success of our hotels is not just about bricks and mortar. It’s not just about the latest renovation, the rising restaurant or the shiniest marketing campaign. Those things matter. But they are not the heart of this business.

As the sellout award night so clearly illustrated –with 1,000 people in the room - the best of the best represents something richer. Something harder to measure but impossible to miss.

It’s about our people.

It’s about the 27,000-plus people that work in hotels and help create our unique DNA… the DNA of the quintessential hotel experience in its many forms.

As the Premier, Peter Malinauskas, has reminded people on many occasions, there is so much good that stems from our pubs and hotels.

Pubs are where we debate politics, celebrate with those we love, cheer for our team and in a quiet corner, console a friend who’s doing it tough. We offer more than rooms; our accommodation hotels are the fabric that weaves together worldbeating tourism experiences.

What I saw in the sea of faces at the awards night was quite profound. It was the sight of so many leaders

– and future leaders of our industry - who don’t just reflect our community but are actively shaping it.

Truly our hotels have never been better. They have never been more inclusive. Never more healthy. Never more important as a driver to the State economy and our tourism aspirations.

But none of this is easy. As David Basheer outlines in his column in this issue, we face many pressures. Rising costs. Anti-social behaviour. Skills shortages. The list keeps growing.

But the achievers I saw at the awards night are not people who back away when headwinds challenge their resolve. They are both entrepreneurial and resilient.

Together we’ve weathered world wars, recessions and pandemics. Yet still the pub stands, the hotel opens its doors each morning and welcomes in guests.

And we do it so well!

Our award winners exemplify how greatness is defined, not by cutting corners but by setting standards.

And by genuinely caring about the people we serve.

In so many ways, hotels are a force for good, despite the naysayers who delight in criticising us at every opportunity. We give kids their first job. We take on new apprentices. Take out loans to improve venues, creating even more employment. Support a fledgling winemaker. We get people off their couches and off their phones. And we continue the time-honoured tradition of digging deep to help a good cause and those in need.

What I saw in the sea of faces at the awards night was quite profound . It was the sight of so many leaders – and future leaders of our industry - who don’t just reflect our community but are actively shaping it.

As we plan for 2026 and beyond, let’s not take this for granted. We cannot assume that the culture we’ve built will survive without care.

Because if we do not nurture it, others will define it for us. And if we do not defend it, it will be diminished. Century upon century of publicans and hoteliers have put us where we are today.

So, let’s continue this great legacy commit to building not just stronger businesses, but stronger communities.

Anna Moeller, AHA|SA CEO