Vanessa Sand, managing director of AA Travel Guides, convenors of the awards, says the programme is keeping up with trends in the accommodation sector so that achievers gain the maximum benefit from their participation.
"All AA Quality Assured Accommodation members - of which there are currently just under 2500 in southern Africa - have automatically been entered into the awards," says Sand.
Guests can enter feedback into the review section of each establishment's listing on www.aatravel.co.za, via traditional AA guest review forms, electronically via an iPad which has been customised into a digital guest book, or via eGuestSurv Reviews.
"We now have the technology in place for feedback received to go live within a week of it being received, making the system so much more user-friendly to both the consumer and the establishment," says Sand.
According to Sand, AA Travel Guides - having managed these awards for the past 18 years - has done extensive industry research and consultation in recent months, and has revised the award categories that establishments can enter (list of 32 categories below).
"It was necessary to structure our award categories in line with current accommodation industry trends," she says. "We are confident that establishments will find the exact relevant category for them to enter and that consumers understand these category definitions to be in line with their expectations."
Feedback received from consumers relates to aspects such as service levels, the quality of food, ambience and value for money. AA Travel Guides will accept feedback until 30 April 2012, where after all reviews will be processed.
Provincial finalists and winners will be announced in July 2012. These winners will then compete against one another to become national winners, to be announced at the 2012 Getaway Show.
Finalists and winners will have the opportunity to profile themselves in the annual awards publication 'South Africa's Best', 100 000 copies of which will be distributed via Getaway magazine, tourist offices and Caxton publications.
"With our new focus on AA Quality Assured properties only - truly our gateway product - we believe the awards programme will grow even further," says Sand. "The AA brand is associated with trust, integrity and quality and we are now creating a platform that members can use to market themselves even more widely and effectively," says Sand.
The AA Quality Assured Accommodation Awards Programme is supported by BnB Sure, PG Glass and Sealy.
For more information phone Vanessa Sand on +27 (0) 11 713 2000 or go to www.accommodation-awards.co.za.
Vanessa Sand, managing director of AA Travel Guides.
