Hundreds of NSW's top hotels are nominated in the AHA NSW Awards for Excellence 2013 across 32 categories.
Categories range from 'Best family-friendly hotel' and 'Outstanding community service and achievement' to the new 'Best social media activity' and the all-important food categories.
The winners will be announced at a gala function at The Event Centre, The Star on Monday, 25 November 2013.
Finalists for 'Overall hotel of the year - country' are: Camden Valley Inn, Camden Valley; Central Hotel, Shell Harbour; Crossroads Hotel, Narrabri; Gol Gol Hotel, Gol Gol' Harrigans Irish Hotel Polkobin; Junction Hotel, The Junction; Kings Table, Bathurst; Park Beach Hotel Motel, Coffs Harbour; The Burwood Inn, Merewether; and Town Green Inn, Port Macquarie.
Finalists for 'Overall hotel of the year - city' are: Bella Vista Hotel, Bella Vista; Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee; Establishment Hotel, Sydney; Fairfield Hotel, Fairfield; Le Pub, Sydney' HPH – Hotel Pennant Hills, Pennant Hills; The Clock Hotel, Surry Hills; The Clovelly Hotel, Clovelly; The Oakes, Neutral Bay; and Willoughby Hotel, Willoughby.
AHA NSW CEO Paul Nicolaou said the record number of finalists across the entire range of categories showed the strength of the industry in regional NSW.
"NSW hotels are second to none - we see that on display every day and the Awards for Excellence punctuate that every year," he said.
"The finalists' list is the result of weeks of painstaking research by a team of independent judges and auditors who have been out and about rating hotels on their performance in many areas in recent weeks."
This year's awards ceremony marks the 140th anniversary of AHA NSW.