Terms and conditions
Event terms and conditions are set by Tourism Accommodation Australia (Victoria) – TAA (Vic) and the Accommodation Australia (Vic).
Please see below terms and conditions of entry and participation for the Victorian Accommodation Awards for Excellence 2024 (VAAFE)
References to ‘members’ relate to current financial members of AA (Vic).
Entry process
Members are required to submit their nominations via the www.vicaccommawards.com.au website.
Nominations open on Friday, 15 March and close Monday, 8 April 2024 at 5pm.
Nomination/submission criteria
Each category has specific nomination criteria. Click here, to view the criteria for each category.
All nominations, written submissions and supporting documents are due by 5pm on Monday, 15 April 2024.
Personal and contact details are collected to enable the judging process to be completed. By submitting your nomination, you also agree to VAAFE event managers using and sharing this information, where necessary, to complete this process.
Nomination fee
Nomination fees to enter VAAFE 2024 are $150 per nomination.
All nomination fees must be paid within 14 days from the invoice date. Any venues that have an outstanding nomination fee invoice after Monday, 29 April 2024 will have their nomination withdrawn.
Please note that properties nominating in the Accommodation, Food and Beverage, Club Lounge and/or Spa categories will be issued an invoice to reimburse the actual cost of property visit judging. Please refer to
Eligibility
To be eligible to enter the VAAFE, your venue must be a current financial member of AA (Vic).
Judging process
Depending on the category, award entrants are judged by an anonymous property visit, review of a written submission, or an online interview.
Judging for the 2024 VAAFE will take place between Monday, 29 April to Friday, 14 June 2024.
Following the awards ceremony on Thursday, 15 August 2024, each category entrant will receive feedback on how their property performed relative to winning hotels and individuals.
All judging is completed by a third-party anonymous assessment organisation that is completely independent of AA (Vic).
- Accommodation Awards: Anonymous property visit to occur Monday -Thursday.
- Onsite Offering Awards: Anonymous property visit to occur Monday -Thursday.
- Hotel Achievement Awards: Assessment of written submission against related judging criteria.
- Employee Awards: Review of the employee's resume and any supporting documents, coupled with an online interview.
Please note that the “Revenue Management Employee of the Year” category is judged via written submission, and the “Inclusion and Accessibility Hotel Award” category is judged via an anonymous booking enquiry and website assessment.
Property visit judging reimbursement
Hotels nominating in the Accommodation, Food and Beverage, Club Lounge and/or Spa categories will be invoiced to cover the actual cost of judging (one person) in each particular category.
Depending on the category, this invoice may include the cost of valet parking, concierge services, breakfast or other fees required to judge all required criteria in the specific category.
Reimbursements may include, but not are not limited to:
- Deluxe Accommodation Hotel of the Year: One night's accommodation - standard room, parking, breakfast, one drink and room service option for one person.
- Luxury Lifestyle Accommodation Hotel of the Year: One night's accommodation - standard room, parking, breakfast, one drink and room service option for one person.
- Superior Accommodation Hotel of the Year: One night's accommodation - standard room, parking, breakfast, one drink and room service option for one person.
- Mid-range Accommodation Hotel of the Year: One night's accommodation - standard room, parking (if applicable) and breakfast for one person.
- Apartment Accommodation Hotel of the Year: One night's accommodation - standard room, parking (if applicable) for one person.
- Boutique Style Accommodation of the Year: One night's accommodation - standard room, parking, breakfast (if applicable) and one drink for one person.
- Resort Style Accommodation of the Year: One night's accommodation - standard room, parking, breakfast and one drink for one person.
- Regional Accommodation of the Year: One night's accommodation - standard room, parking, breakfast and one drink for one person.
- Motel of the Year: One night's accommodation - standard room, parking (if applicable).
- Deluxe Restaurant of the Year: Two courses and two beverages for one person.
- Hotel Restaurant of the Year (mid and superior hotels): Two courses and two beverages for one person.
- Regional Restaurant of the Year: Two courses and two beverages for one person.
- Hotel Bar of the Year: Two beverages for one person.
- Hotel Club Lounge: Access to the Club Lounge, one standard meal and one beverage.
- Hotel Spa of the Year: One standard spa package.
Reimbursement process
Once judging is completed, participating hotels will be issued an invoice to cover the actual cost of property visit judging. Any identifying information may be removed from the supporting documents to maintain a judge’s anonymity.
All invoices must be paid within 14 days from the invoice date.
Any properties that have a reimbursement invoice outstanding after Monday, 29 April will be ineligible to receive an award at the VAAFE 2024.
Employee interviews
First Interview:
- All nominees are granted one free pass. This means that if a nominee cancels last minute or fails to attend, they will not be scored down. They simply need to reschedule their session.
- If a nominee cancels on the day of the interview, they will be advised to rebook their session using the Zoom booking platform.
- In the event of a nominee 'no show', our team will be notified, and we will follow up with the individual and their employer to re-book the interview.
Second Interview:
- If a nominee cancels with more than 4 hours' notice, they should simply reschedule their appointment.
- If a nominee cancels with less than 4 hours' notice without a valid reason, the matter will be discussed among the team to decide whether they will be offered a third opportunity.
- In the case of a nominee 'no show', no further follow-up will be pursued, and the nominee will be marked as withdrawn.
Third Interview:
- If a nominee cancels, regardless of the hours’ notice, they will be withdrawn from the category.
Tickets
VAAFE will only offer a refund of a ticket if the event is cancelled. VAAFE does not offer refunds as a result of a change in your personal circumstances. Should the event be rescheduled, your ticket will be transferred to the new event date.
Tickets sales close Monday, 29 July 2024.
Any final dietary request will be accepted, up until 12pm, five (5) standard business days before the event. Attendee substitutions may be made until the event commences.
Photography/videography
Photos and logos will be used for several marketing activities conducted by VAAFE in promoting finalists and the awards night. Planned activities include general event marketing material, pre-event finalist announcements, a multi-media presentation to be played on the evening and post-event media releases. VAAFE also reserves the right to use any images taken at the event for ongoing promotions, marketing material and collateral.
Regional or Metropolitan Melbourne
We have used the VCGLR's definition as to whether your hotel is regional (R) or metropolitan (M).
Depending on the city council or shire your property is located in will determine the classification. Please see the list below:
| LGA Name | Region |
| City of Whittlesea | M |
| Shire of Northern Grampians | R |
| City of Greater Geelong | R |
| Shire oof Colac-Otway | R |
| Shire of Moorabool | R |
| Shire of Central Goldfields | R |
| Shire of Mitchell | R |
| Shire of Alpine | R |
| Rural City of Benalla | R |
| Shire of Campaspe | R |
| Shire of Glenelg | R |
| Shire of Wellington | R |
| Rural City of Wodonga | R |
| City of Warrnambool | R |
| City of Greater Bendigo | R |
| City of Ballarat | R |
| Rural City of Swan Hill | R |
| City of Greater Shepparton | R |
| Rural City of Mildura | R |
| Shire of East Gippsland | R |
| Shire of Bass Coast | R |
| City of Latrobe | R |
| Shire of Surf Coast | R |
| Shire of South Gippsland | R |
| Shire of Macedon Ranges | R |
| Rural City of Horsham | R |
| Shire of Baw BaW | R |
| Rural City of Wangaratta | R |
| City of Melbourne | M |
| City of Moreland | M |
| City of Darebin | M |
| City of Boroondara | M |
| City of Whitehorse | M |
| City of Manningham | M |
| City of Banyule | M |
| City of Maroondah | M |
| City of Knox | M |
| City of Monash | M |
| City of Port Phillip | M |
| City of Kingston | M |
| City of Greater Dandenong | M |
| City of Frankston | M |
| City of Casey | M |
| Shire of Cardinia | M |
| Shire of Yarra Ranges | M |
| City of Hume | M |
| City of Brimbank | M |
| Shire of Melton | M |
| City of Hobsons Bay | M |
| City of Wyndham | M |
| Shire of Mornington Peninsula | M |
| City of Yarra |
AHA National Awards
Should you be a category winner, you may be eligible to enter the AHA National Awards to be held inin Brisbane on Monday, 25 November 2024.
By confirming your automatic precommitment to enter the AHA National Awards, as the category winner, you acknowledge that you will be sent an invoice for the nominations fee of $330 per category. This invoice will be issued after VAAFE winners are announced.
In addition, if you are nominated for an accommodation category that requires overnight stay for judging purposes you will also be invoiced for the cost of one night’s accommodation and breakfast for two people (where required).
Right to Withdraw
Participants have the right to withdraw their entry from the awards program at any time by sending written notice to the event organisers. The notice of withdrawal must include the participant's name, contact information, and the title of the entry being withdrawn. Once the notice of withdrawal is received, the entry will be removed from the awards program and will no longer be considered for any awards or recognition.
VAAFE reserves the right to withdraw any entry from the awards program at any time, without notice or explanation. If an entry is withdrawn by the organizers, the participant will be notified and will be entitled to a refund of any fees paid.
Code of conduct
By submitting an entry to the awards program, participants agree to abide by the following Code of Conduct:
- Respect: Participants must treat all individuals and groups with respect and dignity. Discriminatory, harassing, or abusive language, behaviour, or content will not be tolerated.
- Originality: Participants must ensure that their submission is their original work and does not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others.
- Accuracy: Participants must ensure that their submission is accurate and truthful. Misleading or fraudulent submissions will not be accepted.
- Compliance: Participants must comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including those related to intellectual property, privacy, and data protection.
- Professionalism: Participants must act professionally and in good faith. Any attempt to manipulate or cheat the awards program, or engage in any other unethical behaviour, will result in disqualification.
Participants who violate this Code of Conduct may be disqualified from the awards program at the discretion of the event organisers. The event organisers reserve the right to disqualify any participant who engages in behaviour that is deemed to be inappropriate or unethical.