Hotel owner, Lee Anderson said not only was the award good for the business, but for the entire the community.

“One of the attractions of Tea Gardens Hotel is its ability to retain its country atmosphere while catering for a broad variety of visitors and locals,” she said.

“The team is very excited that all our efforts for the year have come together.”

Head of marketing and promotions for the hotel, Shona Hunter Howarth said the award submission was a collaborative effort.

“It required commitment from all staff to make sure our product was worthy of this prestigious recognition.”

Ms Hunter Howarth said preparations for a rigorous assessment process started earlier this year.

“The hotel began to assess its operations and implement a number of improvements including some refurbishments, staff training and updating procedures through staff workshops and market research.”

The tourism awards scores are based on a submission detailing the description of operations and strategies and includes a visit to the site from an awards judge to make sure the pub meets a standard of criteria.

The hotel has now been automatically entered into the State competition which will be judged in September.