So, where's best place to stay in SA?

The awards are open to any type of accommodation establishment that is either AA Quality Assured or star graded - including different types of hotels, resorts and lodges, guest houses, bed-and-breakfasts and township accommodation and is now in its 16th year.

Vanessa Sand, the awards convenor, says over the years the programme has become a reliable benchmark for quality. She says it is the “only programme” of its kind in South Africa and says that today it is the consumer's voice on standards in the hospitality industry.

An establishment enters the programme voluntarily, and then the guests, by completing questionnaires supplied to the establishment by AA Travel Guides, are able to comment on aspects such as the quality of facilities, service levels, ambience and food. The forms are then returned and processed independently, and a lot of feedback is received online, after which semi-finalists and finalists are visited by trained and experienced assessors.

Sand says participation in the programme holds huge benefits for any establishment. “Being an achiever gives an establishment a definite marketing advantage as it receives widespread publicity and appears in the annual South Africa's Best publication, which is distributed at local and international tourism exhibitions.

“The programme also holds tremendous internal value for any establishment as guest comments and scores are returned. This is priceless information that assists managers in running their businesses. It also gives staff members a goal… It automatically has a positive effect on morale, efficiency and service levels,” she claims.

Finalists will be announced in March and the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony during the Tourism Indaba in Durban in May.

The awards programme is supported by American Express Card, Sealy, BnB Sure and the Industrial Development Corporation.