It was a night of celebration at the 22nd HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence, presented by Sealy Posturepedic, with close to 1000 gathered at the ICC Sydney to recognise top performers in the hotel industry.
A total of 47 categories were presented on the night with deserving winners from people to properties, projects and chains.
Hilton’s Paul Hutton was named HM Magazine’s Australian Hotelier of the Year, while the Global Hotelier of the Year award went to Pan Pacific Hotel Group CEO Choe Peng Sum.
QT Hotels and Resorts was named Hotel Brand of the Year, while Accor was awarded Accommodation Chain of the Year for the third consecutive year.
“To receive this award is a tremendous honour and a reflection of the exceptional talent and commitment of our people at Accor,” said Accor Pacific Chief Operating Officer PM&E, Adrian Williams, who accepted the award on behalf of the team.
“We love what we do, and this recognition is not only a testament to the respect our industry peers have for us but also highlights the privilege we have in working alongside our owners and partners, whose trust and collaboration are key to our continued success. We are deeply humbled by this acknowledgment.”
Accor celebrated a further 12 wins at the 2024 awards, including the Environmental Program award for its sustainable tourism certification program across the Pacific region.
Marriott International was a big winner on the night with nine wins – including Asia Pacific Hotelier of the Year for Rajeev Menon, and Fijian General Manager of the Year for Silvano Dressino – as well as 15 Highly Commended.
Marriott Bonvoy’s 2024 partnership with the Australian Open, awarded joint winner of the Marketing Campaign category alongside Travel + Leisure Co.’s Culinary Journeys with Peter Kuruvita.
“The recognition received from HM Magazine is a testament to Marriott’s leading global brands, and our people-first culture”, said Marriott International Area Vice President – Australia, New Zealand and Pacific, Jason Nuell.
Former Accommodation Australia CEO Michael Johnson was acknowledged with the Ashley Spencer Service to the Industry award, while Howard Kemball of KCom was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Quest Apartment Hotels was honoured with the Innovative Collaboration Award in recognition of Quest becoming the first major accommodation provider to adopt Accessible Accommodation’s three-tiered rating accreditation system, setting a new standard for inclusivity in the tourism industry.
“Accessibility is not just about meeting standards; it’s about opening doors — both literally and figuratively — to experiences, independence and dignity for everyone,” said Quest GM of Brand and ESG, Anthea Dimitrakopoulo.
“Our commitment to providing accessible accommodation ensures that no one is left behind and every guest feels truly welcomed and valued.”
Capella Sydney took home the award for best Luxury Hotel and Australian Hotel of the Year, alongside The Calile Hotel; while W Sydney won best New Hotel and best Hotel Interior Design.
Hyatt Regency Brisbane’s Saraid Carey was named Australian General Manager of the Year, while Ryan South of InterContinental Auckland took the award for New Zealand,
Two Hotel Chefs claimed top honours: Juin an Lin, Pullman Sydney Olympic Park and Cameron Tabe, The Playford Adelaide – MGallery.
Earlier in the month, New Zealand and the South Pacific’s leading properties and people were recognised at the inaugural HM Awards Aotearoa-Pacific gala ceremony.
The 2024 HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence was presented by Sealy Posturepedic; co-hosted by the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS) at Torrens University Australia, fbm and Hostplus; sponsored by (Emerald) De Beaurepaire Wines, Foxtel for Business, Tappoo; (Gold) FutureLog, Tourism Fiji; (Silver) Encore, Silant, Vingcard/Assa Abloy Global Solution and Vittoria Food and Beverage; (Bronze) ARMA, Mews, Ozone, TravMedia, and Watson Farley & Williams; and supported by Accommodation Australia (AA), AHICE, Hotel Council Aotearoa, SPA + CLINIC and WAYFARER.
Congratulations to all the winners and highly commended. Here is the full list:
| PROPERTY AWARDS – AUSTRALIA | HIGHLY COMMENDED | WINNERS |
| Apartment Hotel | Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane | Crystalbrook Bailey |
| Quest North Sydney | ||
| Economy Hotel | ibis Styles Melbourne Airport | Hilton Garden Inn Busselton |
| YHA Sydney Harbour | ||
| Midscale Hotel | Moxy Sydney Airport | Hotel Morris Sydney – Handwritten Collection |
| Holiday Inn Express Newcastle | TRYP by Wyndham Pulteney Street Adelaide | |
| Upscale Hotel | Midnight Hotel, Autograph Collection | Little National Hotel Sydney |
| Pullman Melbourne on the Park | ||
| Upper-Upscale Hotel | Spicers Guesthouse | Pan Pacific Melbourne |
| Ovolo Nishi | Hotel Indigo Melbourne on Flinders | |
| Luxury Hotel | The Calile Hotel | Capella Sydney |
| The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart | ||
| Lodge | Spicers Sangoma Retreat | Sequoia Lodge |
| Wildlife Retreat at Taronga, Sydney | ||
| Business Hotel | Hyatt Regency Sydney | Brisbane Marriott Hotel |
| Lancemore Crossley St.; Shangri-La Sydney | ||
| Resort | InterContinental Sorrento Mornington Peninsula | The Langham, Gold Coast |
| Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Port Douglas | ||
| Hotel Interior Design | ADGE Hotel + Residences | W Sydney |
| Hotel Indigo Sydney Potts Point | ||
| Boutique Hotel | The Porter House Hotel Sydney – MGallery | QT Sydney |
| Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill | The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart | |
| New Hotel | Adelaide Marriott Hotel | W Sydney |
| Little National Hotel Newcastle | ||
| Meetings and Conferencing Property | Hilton Sydney | InterContinental Sydney |
| Novotel Sydney Olympic Park | Novotel Wollongong Northbeach | |
| Regional Property | Islington Hotel | Lancemore Milawa |
| QT Newcastle; Quest Orange | The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart | |
| Day Spa | The Day Spa By Chuan, The Langham, Sydney | Crown Spa Sydney |
| The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Melbourne | ||
| Hotel Bar | Cameo, The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne | Rooftop at QT, QT Melbourne |
| Whiskey & Wine, Crystalbrook Flynn | ||
| Hotel Restaurant | Lona Mi, Ovolo South Yarra | Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant, Mount Lofty House |
| Peppina Restaurant, The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart | ||
| Tech Hotel | Moxy Sydney Airport | Crown Towers Sydney |
| Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour | ||
| GENERAL AWARDS – AUSTRALIA | HIGHLY COMMENDED | WINNERS |
| Marketing Campaign | Centenary Stories, Hyatt Hotel Canberra – A Park Hyatt Hotel | Culinary Journeys with Peter Kuruvita, Travel + Leisure Co. |
| Electric Escape, Ovolo Hotels | Marriott Bonvoy x Australian Open | |
| Innovative Collaboration | Hotel Etico x Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains | Accessible Accommodation x Quest Apartment Hotels |
| Melbourne Food and Wine Festival x Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street | Hair Service Menu, Ovolo Hotels | |
| Environmental Program | Hotels for Trees, The Ascott Limited | Sustainable Tourism Certification Program – Accor Pacific |
| Think Green, Act Green, Element Melbourne Richmond | ||
| PEOPLE AWARDS – AUSTRALIA | HIGHLY COMMENDED | WINNERS |
| Concierge | Jonathan Fambart, Capella Sydney | Emma Trinidad, W Sydney |
| Peter McBrearty, The Langham Melbourne | ||
| Hotel Chef | Kaushik Aiyer, Mount Lofty Estate | Juin an Lin, Pullman Sydney Olympic Park Cameron Tabe, The Playford Adelaide – MGallery |
| Ondrej Urbanovsky, The Reef House Adults Retreat | ||
| Food and Beverage Associate | Peter Tzimos, Crown Sydney | Daniele Campo, The Porter House Hotel Sydney – MGallery |
| Tunya Lusic, Hilton Sydney | ||
| Human Resources Associate | Amanda Isacson, Pro-invest Group | Bethany Flynn, Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains |
| Laurence Luxford, Meriton Suites | ||
| Sales Associate | Blair Weir, Hilton | Mely Liu, La Vie Hotels & Resorts |
| Narelle Welsh, Novotel & ibis Styles Melbourne Airport | ||
| Marketing & Communications Associate | Andre Jacques, Langham Hospitality Group | Chris Logan, Travel + Leisure Co. |
| Toby Franklin, Ovolo Hotels | ||
| Front Office Associate | Rafael Del Santos, Hyatt Regency Sydney | Brian Hansen, Pullman Sydney Hyde Park |
| Yasmin Schreiter, Crystalbrook Bailey | ||
| Finance Associate | Patrick Wyatt, Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Port Douglas | Ayesha Amjad, Hyatt Centric Melbourne |
| Pum Wathanyu, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth | ||
| Revenue Management Associate | Anthony Kaminski, Doma Group | Andrew Brown, Minor Hotels |
| Chloe Schulz, Salter Brothers Hospitality | ||
| Housekeeper | Christina Liew, Capella Sydney | Harini Garladinna, Abode Hotels |
| Dayna Palmer, Peppers Beach Club | ||
| Hotel Engineer | Chris Puplet, Minor Hotels | Matthew Bampton, Crown Sydney |
| Jose Leonardo Faustino Viegas, Mercure Sydney | ||
| Rising Star | Serena Sykes, Lancemore Hotels | Cailea Atkinson, The Calile Hotel |
| Vindylia Tanaya, Hotel Indigo Sydney Potts Point | Georgia Mayne, Accor | |
| Nicole Burg, La Vie Hotels & Resorts | ||
| MAJOR AWARDS – AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND SOUTH PACIFIC | HIGHLY COMMENDED | WINNERS |
| Fijian General Manager | Lachlan Walker, IHG Hotels & Resorts | Silvano Dressino, Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay |
| Carey Osborne, Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa | ||
| New Zealand General Manager | Jeremy Black, EVT Hotels & Resorts | Ryan South, InterContinental Auckland |
| Jo Finnigan, Hotel St Moritz, Queenstown – MGallery Collection | ||
| Australian General Manager | Jeroen Meijer, Pan Pacific Hotels Group | Saraid Carey, Hyatt Regency Brisbane |
| Nicole Williamson, Mantra Mooloolaba Beach | ||
| Service to the Community | Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport, Auckland | Wishes by Wyndham, Travel + Leisure Co |
| Quest Apartment Hotels | ||
| Marriott International Fiji Resorts | ||
| MAJOR AWARDS – AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND/SOUTH PACIFIC – APPOINTED BY JUDGES | HIGHLY COMMENDED | WINNERS |
| Ashley Spencer Service to the Industry Award | Michael Johnson | |
| Hall of Fame | Howard Kemball, KCom | |
| Hotel Brand of the Year | Hilton | QT Hotels and Resorts |
| W Hotels | ||
| Accommodation Chain of the Year | IHG Hotels and Resorts | Accor |
| TFE Hotels | ||
| Australian Hotel of the Year | Crown Sydney | Capella Sydney |
| The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart, TAS | The Calile Hotel, Brisbane | |
| New Zealand Hotel of the Year | Park Hyatt Auckland | Cordis Auckland |
| QT Auckland | Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa | |
| Fijian Hotel of the Year | Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay | InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa |
| Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa | ||
| HM Magazine Australasian Hotelier of the Year | Andrew Bullock, 1834 Hotels | Paul Hutton, Hilton |
| Matthew Tripolone, IHG Hotels and Resorts | ||
| HM Magazine Asia-Pacific Hotelier of the Year | Alan Watts, Hilton | Rajeev Menon, Marriott International |
| Rajit Sukumaran, IHG Hotels and Resorts | ||
| HM Magazine Global Hotelier of the Year | Kevin Goh, The Ascott Limited | Choe Peng Sum, Pan Pacific Hotels Group |
| Sébastien Bazin, Accor |