By Vanessa Cavasinni, editor Australian Hotelier
The Lion Hotel took out a trifecta of awards at the AHA SA Hotel Industry Awards for Excellence.
The North Adelaide hotel received the major awards of the night, being named Best Overall Hotel for 2017. It’s the third time the pub has taken out the top award, having also received it in 2009 and 2013. The judges praised in particular the high-quality dining experience, the atmosphere of the bar, the function spaces and the outdoor area of the hotel.
The Lion Hotel won another two awards during the course of the night at Adelaide Entertainment Centre: Best Restaurant – General Division and Best Function Operation Facility – General Division.
Tim Gregg, co-owner of Lion Hotel was full of praise both for the industry as a whole, and the pub’s staff.
“We are very aware just how many great things are happening in hotels in the last year or two and how many great people are executing some wonderful things…new developments, new ideas and great service. The SA hotel industry is in great shape indeed.
“We can never be sure what tipped things our way in the end but we can take some guesses. Our restaurant is based on a wonderful kitchen team and we have maintained the standard that has seen us win Best Restaurant consistently over 20 yrs. That same kitchen serves our very dynamic Events (Function Operations) business so our food offer has been the heart of our business for two decades.”
Gregg continued: “Also, we have worked very hard on our service culture and consistently focus on that as another core part of our business. If you want it expressed in a few simple words they would be the consistency that’s ever present in our dedicated kitchen, our re-energised service focus and a highly committed management team that is determined to make our 20th year our best and most memorable year yet.”
Another big winner on the night was The Crafers Hotel in the Adelaide Hills, which picked up Best Apartment/Suite Accommodation and was the joint winner of Best Bistro/Casual Dining – Metropolitan.
Ian Horne, CEO of AHA SA, was very impressed with the standard of hotel operations across the state over the last twelve months.
“South Australian hotels provide patrons with a great range of food and beverage, entertainment, quality accommodation and excellent service. They are also the perfect place to socialize, be entertained, relax and enjoy living. There is no doubt that South Australian hoteliers and their staff should be proud of the services and facilities they offer.”
The full list of winners can be found here.