Finalists in the 2009 Hospitality Association of New Zealand's Awards for Excellence have been announced by chief executive Bruce Robertson.

The awards scheme for HANZ members has been running for 12 years, and attracts entries from wide ranging areas of New Zealand.

Mr Robertson says that despite tough times over the past year - or maybe because of them - interest in the awards is higher than ever, with a pleasing number of first-time entrants. Reversing the pattern of earlier years, there are more finalists from the north island than the south.

Winners will be announced at the Association's Awards for Excellence dinner on 1 October, as part of a three-day conference and trade expo being held in Taupo.

The finalists are:

Auckland: The Westin Auckland Lighter Quay, Soul Bar & Bistro, Sale St, Jet Park Airport Hotel, The Right Track Sports Caf, Cock & Bull Lynfield, and Ascension Vineyard (Matakana). Hamilton: Pumice Bistro Bar, Smith and McKenzie Chophouse, Iguana Street Bar & Restaurant, and Sky City Hamilton. Tauranga: Rossco's Caf. Taupo: Bayview Wairakei Resort, Plateau Restaurant. New Plymouth: Frederic's. Feilding: Cheltenham Hotel. Palmerston North: Coachman Hotel. Greytown: The White Swan. Wellington: Four Kings, The Adelaide, First Contact Ltd, Holiday Inn, The Garden Club, The Tote Pub (Trentham). Picton: Escape to Picton Hotel. Nelson: Monaco Hotel, Palazzo Motor Lodge, Little Rock Bar and Nightclub, Bouterey's at 251.

Christchurch: West Coast Bar & Grill, StockXchange, Christchurch Casino. Methven: The Brown Pub. Hokitika: Stations Inn. Cromwell: Golden Gate Lodge. Manapouri: Manapouri Lakeview. Mt Cook: The Hermitage Panorama Restaurant. Wanaka: Edgewater Resort. Timaru: Grosvenor Hotel. Dunedin: The Palms Restaurant, Bath St Nightclub. Winton: Winton Hotel. Invercargill: Ascot Park Hotel.