The hotel industry is again under fire as two Sydney hotels, the Mean Fiddler Hotel and The Coogee Bay Hotel, top a review of the most frequently reported assault incidents at licensed premises in the state, according to the NSW Bureau of Crime and Statistics.
The Mean Fiddler Hotel at Rouse Hill and the Coogee Bay Hotel were ranked first and second on the list of assaults on licensed premises for 2007.
Coogee Bay Hotel Group Marketing and Communications Manager, Gil Avenaim, questioned the accuracy of the report, arguing it did not take into consideration the higher patronage it experiences in comparison to other pubs.
“Putting things into perspective, it stands to reason that the more popular you are, the more patrons you attract to the hotel and therefore the chances of the odd incident occurring increases. That doesn’t automatically make us a ‘violent’ pub,” Avenaim said.
A spokesperson for The Mean Fiddler, last year’s winner of the AHA Best Hotel Award, said it has instigated changes and worked with local police over the past few years to curb violent instances.
The report comes on the back of a hard few weeks for the industry with two recent shootings in the Kings Cross entertainment area also gaining attention, and growing political pressure to curb binge drinking and anti-social behaviour.
Other hotels topping the list include the Commercial Hotel, The Steyne Hotel and Fanny’s of Newcastle.
The report indicated the incidents were not necessarily flagged as alcohol-related by NSW Police.