South Australia’s top hospitality venues and professionals were celebrated in style on Monday at the 2025 AHA|SA Hotel Industry Awards for Excellence, with standout wins for the Arkaba Hotel and Loxton Hotel.
Held at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre before a sold-out crowd of 1000 guests, the prestigious event recognised the best in the state’s hotel and pub industry, with a record number of nominations reflecting a thriving sector.
The Arkaba Hotel took home four awards, including Best Overall Hotel – Metropolitan for the second year running. The successes follow a $12 million redevelopment for the venue in 2023.
The Loxton Hotel, about 250km north-east of Adelaide, was named Best Overall Hotel – Country, a major accolade for the Riverland with the community-owned venue also collecting a second award on the night.
AHA|SA CEO Anna Moeller praised the winners and the industry as a whole.
“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,” she said.
“Hotels are the heart of our communities – the original social network – and tonight we’ve put the best of the best on a pedestal.”
Adelaide Oval joined the Hall of Fame for Meetings & Events after securing the category for four consecutive years.
In the Accommodation Division, Mount Lofty House achieved an extraordinary three-peat, winning Best Overall Hotel – Accommodation for the third consecutive year.
Other notable winners included:
Cremorne Hotel – Best Bistro Casual Dining – Inner Metropolitan (fourth consecutive win)
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)
Individual honours went to:
Chef of the Year: Brendan Boothroyd – Duxton Pubs
Employee Excellence in Service: Emily Williams – Adelaide Oval
Hotel Industry Rising Stars (Joint Winners):
Chantel Behenna – Duxton Pubs
Miranda Armstrong – McLaren Vale Hotel
All state winners will now progress to the AHA National Awards, to be held in Queensland on Monday 17 November.
