In a proud moment for South Australia’s luxury tourism scene, Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island has taken out the coveted title of Resort of the Year at the 2025 Gourmet Traveller Hotel and Travel Awards.
Regarded as one of the nation’s most prestigious accolades for hospitality and travel, the Gourmet Traveller Awards recognise Australia’s most exceptional destinations, and Southern Ocean Lodge has once again proven why it remains in a class of its own.
Gourmet Traveller Editor Joanna Hunkin tells us this is the first year they’ve featured a dedicated hotel and travel awards, despite running hotel awards and a hotel guide between the early and mid 2000s.
“As you can imagine, through covid there wasn’t a real opportunity to bring it back,” Joanna said. “This time last year we started looking at opportunities, and we felt like it really was the right time to bring back some form of the hotel awards. We wanted to expand it to include travel experiences as well, so that it’s not solely hotel reviews, even though that is still a big focus for us. We really wanted to make it about celebrating the best of Australia and the unique experiences that we offer here.”
Perched above the rugged limestone cliffs of Kangaroo Island’s wild southern coast, Southern Ocean Lodge offers a rare mix of world-class luxury and untamed beauty. Its win comes as a celebration of its extraordinary rebuild and renewal following the devastating bushfires of 2020. Reopened with even more thoughtful design and elevated experiences, the lodge is redefining remote luxury for a new era.
The award recognises the resort’s “masterful blend of refined luxury and raw natural beauty”, combining immersive architecture, exceptional service, and a profound connection to place. Each suite is designed to frame the coastal panorama, with layered textures and warm tones echoing the surrounding landscape. Locally sourced menus, guided experiences, and wellness rituals connect guests to the spirit of the island, while reinforcing the property’s deep commitment to sustainability.
“The Australian approach to resorts is really unique,” Joanna said. “When you look internationally, resorts often have big pools, swim-up bars, cabanas by the pool. That’s really not what an Australian resort is. Something that’s really interesting to note is that of all the properties featured in our hotel guide, resorts are where we see that Australian approach to luxury shine the brightest, because they’re really built to capture and accentuate their natural surroundings. They really immerse guests in their unique setting.”
“When you talk about Southern Ocean Lodge and Kangaroo Island, no one does it more emphatically. It is such an example of splendid isolation. The entire property has been built to capture and amplify that unique setting. Everything is looking out at that wilderness, at that coastline. You couldn’t be anywhere else in the world.”
The resort’s triumph is not just a win for the lodge itself, but a major nod to South Australia’s continued emergence as a premier destination for high-end travel. With the region’s wine country, native wildlife, and coastal grandeur at its doorstep, the lodge delivers an experience that’s as enriching as it is indulgent.
Following a rigorous judging process by some of Australia’s most respected travel writers and editors, the resort stood out amongst dozens of contenders nationwide. “All of our judges are very privileged to get to travel the world professionally, staying at some of the very best hotels throughout the world, so we do have incredibly high standards, and a lot of experience to compare it to,” Joanna said.
“There are certain criteria that have to be met, but you would find that most properties in the top 10 all fulfil the same criteria. After that, it just comes down to a certain X-factor that I think you can only define when you’re there. You know it when you see it and experience it.”
“I would say that all of our winners really stand up on a world stage. It’s not just good for Australia, it’s world class,” she said.
The recognition affirms what locals have long known—South Australia is home to some of the most remarkable tourism experiences in the world.
This win secures Southern Ocean Lodge’s position as a true icon of Australian luxury, and a must-visit destination for travellers seeking something extraordinary.
“Very much these awards were driven by the fact we have just seen, especially in the past three to four years, such an influx particularly in the luxury sector of the hotel market in Australia. We’ve seen a lot of international brands enter the market, and beautiful new properties open, or in the case of Southern Ocean Lodge, reopen after some pretty tumultuous times.”
“The fact that it had a $55 million rebuild, in itself was extraordinary. They used it as an opportunity to just refine and tweak every little detail. So it’s incredibly subtle. These delicate upgrades mean that there’s an added thoughtfulness to the design which has just made it better than ever.”
“It’s such a triumph after such a devastating last five years.”
Gourmet Traveller 2025 Hotel and Travel Awards winners:
HOTEL OF THE YEAR
The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne, VIC
RESORT OF THE YEAR
Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, SA
BOUTIQUE HOTEL OF THE YEAR
Raes on Wategos, Byron Bay, NSW
BEST NEW HOTEL
The Eve Hotel, Sydney, NSW
BEST HOTEL DINING
Lake House, Daylesford, VIC
CRUISE LINE OF THE YEAR
Silversea Cruises
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS – as voted by more than 3000 Australians
Airline of the Year: Emirates
Best Loyalty Program: Qantas Frequent Flyer
Best Travel Experience: Alba Thermal Springs
The winners were determined via an esteemed panel of industry experts, including Michael
Harden, Lee Tulloch, Alexandra Carlton and more. Led by Hunkin, the judges reviewed and
endorsed more than 50 hotels across Australia, to deliver the Gourmet Traveller Hotel Guide.
Full profiles of each of the winners feature in the June issue of Gourmet Traveller, on sale May
26.
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