The winners of the 2019 AHA WA & Aon Hospitality Awards for Excellence were celebrated on Monday night at the Byron Bay Premium Lager Gala Ball.
Bradley Woods, CEO of the AHA WA said the 2019 finalists and winners represented the pinnacle of hospitality venues throughout Western Australia.
“Western Australia’s hospitality industry continues to grow from strength to strength and the quality of the finalists at this year’s Awards for Excellence reflects the exceptional standards for which WA is increasingly renowned.
“The awards are an opportunity to acknowledge those venues that constantly strive to raise the bar, as well as their dedicated staff who are the backbone of the industry.”
The Marina’s major winner
The Marina Mindarie took out the major metropolitan award of the night, being named Perth’s Best Hospitality Venue for the second time in three years.
“It was both a shock and proud moment for this to be bestowed upon us a second time. I have been managing the operations here for the past three and a half years — we have made incredible progress in that time to improve the delivery of service, food and beverage as well as providing greater amenity for patrons who come and visit us, our local clientele, as well as tourists,” stated David Bornmann, director of operations at The Marina.
Bornmann told Australian Hotelier that the site’s varied offerings and its fantastic staff are the reason for its success.
“Our venues are all different, from the Indian Ocean Craft Brewery to the Boat that is a family-friendly pub all with fantastic outdoor beer gardens and al fresco space. Combine these shore-side options with the Pavilion function and event space and Cabana Pool Bar and Grill, we offer something for all ages and tastes to enjoy anywhere in our business. We have an energetic and friendly team with seasoned managers who are all focused on being part of an award-winning business. They all take pride in what we have done and what we achieve.”
The Marina also won the Community Service award and the Environmental Practice and Energy Efficiency award, the latter the second year in a row. While accepting the award, Bornmann urged all hospitality operators to commit to not using single-use plastic straws, in the hopes that in twelve month’s time this could become a statewide self-imposed ban for the industry.
“We put this in place in the Marina two years ago and we have not had any push back from the public, if anything we were commended for taking this action.”
Best of the best
In the other major award of the night, Froth Craft Brewery in Exmouth won Best Regional Hospitality Venue. It also won Best Outdoor Area and Best Boutique Brewery.
Director Pete Firth was floored by the wins for the relatively new venue.
“We’re honoured and stoked to have won such a major AHA award, especially alongside Best Boutique Brewery! Only in our third year of trading, it’s a gargantuan boon for us, Froth Craft Brewery, and our region as a whole. From our brewpub in the remote and gorgeous Ningaloo Coast in the north-west of W.A, pioneering craft beer production and a family friendly venue with a huge variety of live entertainment has been the most challenging endeavour of our lives but these awards confirm what we’ve always believed; that breweries who value creativity, innovation, social cohesion, the Arts, community and consistently outstanding hospitality experiences for guests of all ages and all walks of life… are becoming increasingly integral in the industry and are setting a new standard. Considering the high calibre of venues across the state, we’re still in shock but chuffed beyond belief and looking forward to announcing soon our next exciting instalment of Froth. Cheers and beers!”
The Group Venue Operator Award was bestowed upon Sneakers & Jeans which runs The Flour Factory and Varnish on King, among other venues; and Danny Kapinkoff received the Hospitality Industry Lifetime Achievement Award.
“WA’s hotels, bars, restaurants, pubs, taverns, wineries and breweries are offering patrons more than ever before, with exceptional food and beverage offerings complemented by world-class service,” said Woods.
“Our hospitality industry is in many ways the face of WA – venues and staff across the state play a critical role in how we are perceived and in this regard the industry is excelling.”