Canberra’s best hotels celebrated at AHA ACT Awards
The Dock Kingston was named Hotel of the Year (General Division), while the Burbury Hotel took out Hotel of the Year (Accommodation Division).
The best of the ACT’s hotel sector shone bright at the annual AHA ACT Awards for Excellence, with more than 300 industry and community leaders gathering at the National Museum of Australia for a gala cocktail function to celebrate the capital’s top hospitality venues and people.
There were rousing cheers for the big winners. The Dock Kingston was named Hotel of the Year (General Division), while the Burbury Hotel took out Hotel of the Year (Accommodation Division).
Jamala Wildlife Lodge was crowned Deluxe Hotel of the Year, and the Little National Hotel Canberra walked away with the title of Superior Hotel of the Year.
The hotly-contested People’s Choice Award went to Caribou Kingston, with thousands of members of the public casting votes.
Food and beverage highlights
Competition was fierce in the food categories. BentSpoke Brewing Co. took out Best Burger, while Mercure Canberra won both Best Parmi and Best Cheap Eat Meal (Under $20). Café Sosta was awarded Best Steak Sandwich, and the Old Canberra Inn secured Best Steak.
Molto Italian won Best Casual Dining Experience, while the popular Louis, Hotel Realm was named Best Restaurant.
Beer lovers also had cause to celebrate with BentSpoke Brewing Co. and Capital Brewing Co. jointly winning Best Draught Beer Quality — both receiving perfect scores in an industry first.
Recognising industry leaders
Leadership excellence was also honoured on the night. Executive of the Year (General) went to Soumi Tannous of Bar Beirut, while Executive of the Year (Accommodation) was awarded to Stephen Hollow of QT Canberra.
In a special part of the evening, ACT hospitality icon Michael Capezio (General) and Doma Hotels’ Kathryn Carling (Accommodation) were inducted into the Hall of Fame by AHA ACT General Manager Chris Gatfield.
“Over a record breaking 26 years as President Michael established himself as an authoritative voice for our industry, and leaves a long track record of successful advocacy,” Mr Gatfield said during the ceremony.
“Kathryn is an evangelist for accommodation, tourism and all things Canberra – her commitment to not just the economic but also the environmental sustainability of our industry marks her as a truly forward-thinking leader.”
Canberra punches above its weight
Mr Gatfield praised the calibre of this year’s winners, saying the ACT hospitality scene was second to none.
“All of the winners here tonight show the vibrancy of the ACT’s hospitality sector,” he said. “When it comes to quality of staff and venues Canberra really does punch above its weight and that is on ample display here tonight.
“I congratulate each and every winner on setting the bar even higher for the 2026 Awards for Excellence.”
A full list of winners is available on the AHA ACT website HERE
Read about WA AHA Awards 2025 on AccomNews HERE
