Best Marketed Hotel

Minimum Entrants
A minimum of three entrants is required for the category to progress to judging.

National Awards Eligibility
The winner is eligible to enter the AHA National Awards.

About the Award
This category recognises excellence in hotel marketing and celebrates venues that use strategic marketing activity to build awareness, engagement and visitation.
Marketing initiatives may include market research and planning, advertising and promotions, publications, partnerships, sponsorships, trade activity, media and consumer events, digital marketing and social media.

Submission Requirements
A written submission of no more than 1,000 words is required, supported by relevant documents, images and evidence.

Judging Process
Your submission should clearly explain the how, why, what and where of your marketing approach.

Marketing Strategy

• Identify your target market and explain how it was identified
• Outline the research and planning that informed your strategy
• Describe key campaigns, their objectives and how they were executed
• Explain how the strategy aligned with your venue’s brand and positioning

In-House Marketing

• Explain how consistency and quality were maintained across your branding
• Provide examples of in-venue marketing, including signage, menus, screens and displays
• Explain how these activities supported your overall marketing strategy

Website & Social Media

• Evaluate the appeal, usability and effectiveness of your website, supported by relevant analytics
• Explain how social media platforms were strategically used to achieve objectives such as bookings, awareness, engagement or sales
• Demonstrate the impact of your digital activity rather than simply providing examples of content

Partnerships & Integration

• Describe partnerships with business associations, tourism bodies, attractions, sponsors and other networks
• Explain how these partnerships contributed to your marketing activity
• Explain how your marketing team collaborates with other venue departments to ensure consistency and effectiveness

Implementation & Measurement

• Detail how campaigns were implemented and measured
• Provide evidence of outcomes, such as ROI, sales, visitation, media exposure or brand awareness
• Explain how results were calculated, using direct sales, comparative sales, advertising value or other relevant measures
• Demonstrate tangible outcomes from your marketing activity

Innovation

• Highlight the most innovative aspect of your marketing strategy
• Explain why it was innovative and whether it was new to your venue
• Demonstrate the impact achieved

Supporting Documents

• Marketing strategy or plan
• Evidence of campaigns and results, including analytics, sales and PR/media reach
• Examples of in-house marketing materials
• Website performance and analytics
• Evidence of partnerships and outcomes

Submission Deadline: Monday, 14 December 2026