Arkaba Hotel, Loxton Hotel and Mt Lofty House & Estates Triumph at 2025 AHA|SA Hotel Industry Awards for Excellence.

South Australia’s finest hotels and hospitality professionals were celebrated tonight at the 2025 AHA|SA Hotel Industry Awards for Excellence, held at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre before a sell-out audience of 1,000 guests.

For the second consecutive year, the Arkaba Hotel was crowned Best Overall Hotel – Metropolitan. Following its state win in 2024, “The Ark” went on to secure the national title, making it the reigning Best Pub in Australia. The hotel underwent a $12 million renovation in 2023 and now employs more than 150 staff across its accommodation, dining, entertainment, retail and function operations.

Mount Lofty House achieved an extraordinary third consecutive win as Best Overall Hotel –Accommodation Division, recognised for excellence in accommodation, dining, bar, functions, customer service and tourism.

The Loxton Hotel, proudly owned by its local community, was awarded Best Overall Hotel – Country, marking a major victory for the Riverland region.

“From the bar tops to the rooftops and from the bedrooms to the beer gardens, SA’s pubs and hotels are in a class of their own,” said AHA|SA CEO, Anna Moeller.

“Hotels are the heart of our communities – the original social network – and tonight we’ve put the best of the best on a pedestal.”

All South Australian winners now progress to the AHA National Awards, to be held in Queensland on Monday 17 November.

Notable Winners

• Arkaba Hotel – four awards in total

• Cremorne Hotel – Best Bistro Casual Dining – Inner Metropolitan for the fourth consecutive year

• Mount Lofty House & Estate (including Sequoia Lodge) – three awards

• Loxton Hotel – two awards

• Stirling Hotel – Deluxe Pub Accommodation and Bar Presentation & Experience – Metropolitan

• Port Lincoln Hotel – WT Spurr AO Award for Tourism & Regional Promotion (second year in a row)

• Adelaide Oval – Hall of Fame status for Meeting & Events Venue (Specialist Division) after four consecutive wins, including one National Award

Individual Honours

• Chef of the Year: Brendan Boothroyd – Duxton Pubs Recognised for transforming South Australia’s pub dining scene through innovative and diverse menus across 20+ venues.

• Employee Excellence in Service: Emily Williams –Adelaide Oval Celebrated for creativity, attention to detail, and exceptional customer service.

• Hotel Industry Rising Stars (Joint Winners):

• Chantel Behenna – Duxton Pubs Commended for her leadership and operational excellence at the Old Noarlunga Hotel.

• Miranda Armstrong – McLaren Vale Hotel Recognised as an emerging industry leader driving excellence, mentoring and community engagement.

Event Details

The Awards for Excellence were attended by 1,000 guests including the Premier of South Australia, Hon Peter Malinauskas MP, who addressed the audience.

Major industry support came from TABCORP, with Asahi Beverages, Coopers and Lion as major corporate partners, and Hostplus as the event’s major partner.