Western Australia’s hospitality elite assembled on Monday night to crown the year’s best and brightest, in a State that must work harder for the patron dollar.
Over 1100 guests attended the Lion Gala Ball at Crown Perth, as the Australian Hotels Association WA handed out 42 Awards for Excellence in pubs, accommodation hotels, bars, foodservice and tourism facilities.
The star of the night was the industry-leading Print Hall, bringing home four awards including top honour Best Hospitality Venue – which it has held now for three years.
The four-level Perth hotel has strived to be a leader in a multitude of venue offerings, and this was reflected in its continued success as it was granted the titles of: Best Bar Presentation and Service Venue, Best Premium Restaurant (Print Hall Dining Room), Best Wine List, and Perth’s Best Hospitality Venue.
Operators Colonial Leisure Group (CLG) was also awarded WA’s Best Boutique Brewery for its Colonial Brewing Company, which supplies its pubs including Print Hall.
Speaking with PubTIC, CLG national GM Lawrence Dowd, based in Melbourne, says Print Hall would compete up alongside any venue he has seen or known on the East Coast.
“It’s been a bit of a game-changer in Perth,” says Dowd.
“It’s always on-trend, with consistent focus on service and food and bev. It’s probably one of Perth’s premier venues.” (continues below)
The hotel was recently ranked by Wine Spectator Magazine as having one of the top eight wine lists in the world; an honour for which Print Hall’s sommelier was flown to New York to accept.
Another strong performer on Monday night was The Classroom, with Andrew Bennett backing up his performance at the AHA National awards with WA’s Best Cocktail Bartender and The Classroom scoring WA’s Best Cocktail Bar.
AHA(WA) CEO, Bradley Woods, said it has been a great year for Western Australian hospitality.
“Our venues and food and beverage offerings have been recognised nationally and internationally amongst the best of the best”.
“Tonight we have celebrated the venues and staff who have shaped the industry into what it is today, as well as the rising stars of the future”.
