The finalists of the 2018 Gourmet Traveller Australian Hotel Awards

BEST MINIBAR
They're so often treated as an afterthought, so it's a relief to check into a room and find a minibar that's been assembled with care and attention to detail. Locally produced beers, wines, spirits and snacks are always a great start - they give guests a taste of the place they've come to visit. Even better, of course, when the contents are on the house.

FINALISTS
Macq01, 18 Hunter St, Hobart, Tas, macq01.com.au
Mona Pavilions, 655 Main Rd, Berriedale, Tas, mona.net.au
QT Hotels & Resorts (pictured), qthotelsandresorts.com

BEST CLUB SANDWICH
We are, as far as we know, the only media outlet or industry body that performs an annual audit of the nation's club sandwiches. Wherever they're on the menu, it is our reviewers' solemn duty to call room service and taste the club. At Gourmet Traveller, we take our triple-deckers seriously.

FINALISTS
Jackalope, 166 Balnarring Rd, Merricks North, Vic, jackalopehotels.com
The Louise (pictured), 375 Seppeltsfield Rd, Marananga, SA, thelouise.com.au
QT Gold Coast, 7 Staghorn Ave, Surfers Paradise, Qld, qthotelsandresorts.com

BEST BED
We were flat-out researching this award. Though hotel beds are rarely the centre of attention, they're the foundation of a great hotel stay, the one feature on which all else rests. Like Goldilocks, we found some mattresses too hard, others too soft and, frankly, old. Some, however, were just right.

FINALISTS
Ovolo Inchcolm (pictured), 73 Wickham Tce, Spring Hill, Qld, ovolohotels.com.au
Mayfair Hotel, 45 King William St, Adelaide, SA, mayfairhotel.com.au
Spicers Potts Point, 120-124 Victoria St, Potts Point, NSW, spicersretreats.com

BEST BAR
For a country that increasingly likes its bars to be small, hidden and laneway, it's worth remembering that some of Australia's most memorable drinking holes are found in hotels. Some have the edge for their views, some for the vibe, some for the strength of their cellar. But only a select few hotel bars tick all the boxes at once.

FINALISTS
Crown Towers Perth Great Eastern Hwy, Burswood, WA, crowntowersperth.com.au
Elements of Byron Bay, 144 Bayshore Dr, Byron Bay, NSW, elementsofbyron.com.au
Islington Hotel (pictured), 321 Davey St, Hobart, Tas, islingtonhotel.com

BEST POOL
Hotel pools are one of the great consolations of an itinerant life. They're sanctuaries from the stresses of work, places to relax and recharge. We don't really mind if the pool is indoor or outdoor, saltwater or fresh, practical or showpiece. We love all of the above but when it comes to hotel pools – we must confess – the bigger the better in our book.

FINALISTS
Elements of Byron Bay, 144 Bayshore Dr, Byron Bay, NSW, elementsofbyron.com.au
The Johnson, 477 Boundary St, Spring Hill, Qld, thejohnson.com.au
Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour (pictured), 12 Darling Dr, Sydney, NSW, sofitelsydneydarlingharbour.com.au

BEST BREAKFAST
Breakfast can make or break a hotel stay. The way we're treated first thing in the morning is very important - it's a measure of a hotel's innate sense of hospitality. What we're looking for is the buffet of our dreams or an à la carte menu that opens our eyes wide. And great coffee, obviously.

FINALISTS
Como The Treasury, 1 Cathedral Ave, Perth, WA, comohotels.com
Grand Hyatt Melbourne (pictured), 123 Collins St, Melbourne, Vic, melbourne.grand.hyatt.com
Halcyon House, 21 Cypress Cres, Cabrita Beach, NSW, halcyonhouse.com.au

BEST SERVICE
Forget the white gloves. The best service in Australian hotels is unpretentious but intuitive – we love staff who seem to know what we desire even before we've thought of it ourselves. Service is the critical ingredient of a hotel stay, but sometimes even the top hotels can get it wrong. Which is why it's so important to applaud those who get it right.

FINALISTS
Next Hotel Brisbane, 72 Queen St, Brisbane, Qld, nexthotels.com
Shangri-La Sydney, 176 Cumberland St, The Rocks, NSW, shangri-la.com/sydney
Spicers Clovelly Estate (pictured), 68 Balmoral Rd, Montville, Qld, spicersretreats.com

REGIONAL HOTEL OF THE YEAR
In a country as vast as ours, where distances can be measured in days rather than hours, there's a particular joy reserved for finding an exceptional inn at the end of the road. The best regional hotels become destinations in themselves – reasons to load up the car, or get on the plane and transport yourself somewhere special.

FINALISTS
Halcyon House, 21 Cypress Cres, Cabrita Beach, NSW, halcyonhouse.com.au
Jackalope (pictured), 166 Balnarring Rd, Merricks North, Vic, jackalopehotels.com
Lake House, 4 King St, Daylesford, Vic, lakehouse.com.au

BOUTIQUE HOTEL OF THE YEAR
Small is beautiful, but it can also be a challenge. How do you please everyone all of the time when you have only a fraction of the resources of the big hotels? Easy. You turn on the small-hotel charm, delivering guests a highly personalised service, a distinctive character and sense of place, and a welcome that is warm and genuine.

FINALISTS
Jackalope, 166 Balnarring Rd, Merricks North, Vic, jackalopehotels.com
The Langham, 89-113 Kent St, Sydney, NSW, langhamhotels.com
The Old Clare Hotel (pictured), 1 Kensington St, Chippendale, NSW, theoldclarehotel.com.au

LARGE HOTEL OF THE YEAR
The most successful large hotels must operate like a well-oiled machine. With more than 100 rooms to attend to, restaurants and bars to run, large numbers of staff to manage, complex facilities to maintain and – most importantly – all those myriad guest expectations to manage, it's no easy task winning a nomination for our Large Hotel of the Year award.

FINALISTS
Grand Hyatt Melbourne (pictured), 123 Collins St, Melbourne, Vic, melbourne.grand.hyatt.com
Macq01, 18 Hunter St, Hobart, Tas, macq01.com.au
Park Hyatt Sydney, 7 Hickson Rd, The Rocks, NSW, sydney.park.hyatt.com

HOTEL OF THE YEAR
Of all the hotels we've reviewed around Australia in the past 12 months, which one impressed us most? It could be a new address or an established one; it could be sprawling or small, located in the city, by the beach or in the country. There's only one real criterion: our hotel of the year has to be the very best of the top 50 hotels we've checked into.

FINALISTS
Jackalope, 166 Balnarring Rd, Merricks North, Vic, jackalopehotels.com
Macq01 (pictured), 18 Hunter St, Hobart, Tas, macq01.com.au
Paramount House Hotel, 80 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills, NSW, paramounthousehotel.com