qualia: Australia’s Best Resort for 7th consecutive year

Located at the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Hamilton Island’s luxury resort, qualia has once again been named Best Resort at the 2014 HM Awards.

qualia has been awarded the Best Resort accolade every year since opening. A member of Relais & Châteaux, it’s not hard to see why this adults only Great Barrier Reef resort consistently wins this hotly contested category thanks to its tranquil setting amongst native Eucalypts, breathtaking views of the surrounding Whitsunday Islands and Coral Sea, and unrivalled accommodation, facilities, activities and cuisine.

qualia’s Executive Head Chef, Alastair Waddell was named Best Hotel Chef in the HM Awards, continuing to position qualia and Hamilton Island as one of Australia’s premier food and wine destinations. The resort’s breathtaking Long Pavilion restaurant, providing the ideal stage for Waddell to showcase his gourmet prowess, also took out highly commended in this year’s Best Hotel Restaurant category alongside qualia’s highly commended in the Best Australasian Hotel of the Year category.

Matthew Taverner, qualia’s General Manager, said: ‘We’re honoured our Executive Head Chef has once again been acknowledged within the industry and that qualia continues to hold the Best Resort crown. Winning these prestigious accolades demonstrates that our unique blend of Australian luxury and unparalleled service continues to set the benchmark for luxury resorts not just in Australia, but around the world.

“With the Best in the World and Best Resort in Oceania titles also under our belt thanks to the 2012 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, seven years on qualia is enjoying its highest occupancy levels yet; a testament to our team and the Oatley family’s vision and dedication,” said Mr Taverner.
  
The team behind qualia work with unwavering passion to strengthen the resort’s brand both domestically and on the world stage. These efforts have been acknowledged with Hamilton Island’s Corporate Communications Director, Sophie Baker awarded the HM Award for Best Communications Associate and Hamilton Island taking home the award for Best Marketing Campaign for their recent HAPPY campaign.

Ms Baker said, “Social media has completely transformed the way we research, plan and book our travel. There are now four mobile phones for every three people in Australia^ and YouTube continues to increase in popularity, now attracting over 1 billion unique visitors every month*. Hamilton Island believes in the importance of tapping into this growing trend by showcasing the beauty of our destination and passion of our staff through shareable online content. It’s rewarding to see this content shared across the globe and connecting with a socially savvy audience who love to travel and explore.” 

For more information, visit www.hamiltonisland.com.au.

^ SOURCE: News.com.au, 10 September 2014: http://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/telstra-and-optus-announce-new-early-termination-fee-credit-deals/story-fn6vihic-1227052860948

* SOURCE: Social Strand Media, 2 January 2014: http://www.slideshare.net/SocialStrand/social-media-stats-2014