"As owners, we care and all we want is happy customers. A simple equation which has paid off," Mr Schwass said.
Hospitality New Zealand chief executive Vicki Lee said the calibre of the entries received this year reinforced the level of professionalism and passion that operators had for the industry.
"On top of that they had to squeeze in writing their awards entries around the major event of the year, the Lions Tour, which had many in the industry flat out for several weeks.
"No doubt, many of the Lions fans enjoyed eating, drinking or staying in these businesses and I'm confident they will have been well looked after.
"The finalists are spread from one end of the country to the other and this is reflective of the value the industry brings to every region in the form of jobs and money injected into the local economy. Tourism continues to grow and these businesses are an integral part of the visitor experience", she said.
Country hotels, upmarket metropolitan gastro pubs, multimillion-dollar hotels, neighbourhood cafés, regional motels, exceptional hosts, marketers and trainers from all over the country are among the finalists announced.
Entrants in the Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence are judged over an eight-week period by a panel of independent industry professionals, who assess every entry on a range of commercial and operational criteria including staff training and human resources, customer service, food and beverages, marketing and promotional activities, environmental initiatives and the demonstration of business growth.
The finalists will now be visited by mystery shoppers to ensure what they say on paper is what they actually do in real life.
Winners will be announced at Hospitality NZ's national conference in Wellington on October 19.
