Login to Complete an Application or to Access Judging Panel
A New Gold Key Awards Experience
Welcome to the reimagined Gold Key Awards! The new format celebrates the outstanding contributions of our many hotel team members and the broader hotel community contributions to San Diego.
The updated awards include:
- Hotel Community Honorees – Associates who represent the “best in class” at their respective hotels. These honorees will also be considered for statewide recognition through the California Hotel & Lodging Association’s Hotel All Stars Awards.
- San Diego Community Awards – Associates, properties, and programs whose contributions positively impact the hospitality and tourism industry, as well as the greater San Diego community’s growth and prosperity.
The new program includes eight Hotel Community Honorees, and five San Diego Community Awards. This year’s categories are listed below. You can learn more about each category here.
All nominees will be recognized at our awards show on February 27, 2026, at the San Diego Mission Bay Resort.
CATEGORIES
- Housekeeping
- Guest Services
- Food & Beverage – Front of House
- Food & Beverage –"Heart of House"
- Sales, Marketing & Revenue Management
- Engineering & Security
- Accounting & Finance
- Human Resources
- Patti Roscoe Award - Allied Person of the Year
- Good Earthkeeping Award
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award
- Hotel Leader of the Year
- Gold Key Award
The period covered by the nomination is January 2025 to present. Hotels may be required to join the appropriate association to be entered. Nominations will be judged by the top elected officers of the participating organizations and MUST BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN February 12, 2026 at 5:00pm PT.
Please contact the SDCLA office at info@lodgingsd.com or 619.678.1195 with any questions.