Jamala Wildlife Lodge in Canberra won gold at the Australian Tourism Awards on Friday night.
It was the first time since 2018 that a Canberra region tourism organisation has taken home gold.
It was a big night for the owners of Jamala, Richard and Maureen Tindale, who also won silver for their other related venture, the National Zoo and Aquarium.
Jamala Wildlife Lodge won gold in the Unique Accommodation category.
The National Zoo and Aquarium won silver in the Major Tourist Attraction category.
They were the only awards won by Canberra tourism outfits, the Adelaide Zoo winning gold in the Major Tourist Attraction category.
The National Arboretum in Canberra was highly commended in the tourist attraction category.
The Canberra and Region Visitors Centre was also highly commended in the Visitor Information Service category.
Canberra Region Tourism Industry Council CEO Dr Naomi Dale said there were 11 local entrants competing in the 2022 national awards in Sydney on Friday.
"Huge congratulations go to the team at Jamala Wildlife Lodge for taking home the gold in the Unique Accommodation category," she said.
"The tourism market is a competitive place, and they finished ahead of outstanding offerings from South Australia and Queensland who took the silver and bronze respectively.
"Canberra Region offers outstanding tourism experiences and so it is wonderful to see that being recognised against some very tough competition. We've proven we can achieve amazing things when measuring tourism excellence amongst winners from all states and territories."
The silver winner in Unique Accommodation was the Woodhouse Activity Centre in South Australia and the Mitchell Grass Retreat in Queensland.
Located within the grounds of the National Zoo and Aquarium, Jamala offers luxury accommodation combined with a unique animal experience.
People can sleep metres from lions, bears, cheetahs or tigers in the jungle bungalows or close to a giraffe in the Giraffe Tree House.
"It's a big honour to represent our region, and of course, to receive an award at nationals, and for Canberra Region to not only score a gold, but to also take silver for the biggest category of the night, Major Tourist Attractions, is just a fantastic recognition of the hard work our industry invests in, creating incredible products and programs for our visitors," Dr Dale said.
