MAJOR AWARD WINNERS
MAJOR AWARD WINNERS
ACCOMMODATION VENUE OF THE YEAR – REGIONAL SHIP INN STANLEY
THE TASMAN The newest kid on the block in Tasmania’s premium accommodation offerings didn’t take long to announce itself. Open for just six months, the Tasman upstaged the likes of flagship Federal Group properties Saffire Freycinet and MACq01 Hotel and Henry Jones Art Hotel. It capped a big few months for the venue, which was recently named as one of just two Australian properties in both Travel + Leisure’s coveted ‘It List’, and the 26th edition of Condé Nast Traveler’s ‘Hot List’ (read more on page 36).
ACCOMMODATION VENUE OF THE YEAR – METRO
Success has been coming thick and fast for the Ship Inn Stanley since Kerry and Alastair Houston sunk their teeth into renovating the venue which boasts a stunning backdrop of the Nut. The Ship Inn went back-to-back in both best regional accommodation venue and best superior hotel accommodation – the latter the title the establishment won at February’s national AHA awards. Rounding out a hugely successful 2022 Tasmanian awards, the Houston’s added a third gold in the Veolia Best Environmental and Recycling Practice category.
We were a bit more relaxed this year as opposed to last year, but we didn’t expect anything like this,” Alastair said. “We just enjoyed the journey.” However, while ecstatic at their trio of victories, Kerry revealed there were some mixed emotions on the night, with the couple also celebrating their wedding anniversary but mourning the death of Kerry’s father. “It is amazing [to go back-to-back] and we would like to dedicate this to my dad [Michael], who died yesterday [Sunday]. It’s felt a bit like four weddings and a funeral,” she said.
“It’s a very proud moment, I guess after many years of being involved in the development of the hotel, to win an award such as this off the back of enormous competition, is a great achievement for the team and we are all really proud,” Tasman general manager Stephen Morahan said. “I think it was the teamwork [which was the secret of success] and all the people involved in not only bringing the hotel to life as a great asset to the state, but also everyone within the hotel delivering on that amazing service that’s so quintessentially Tasmanian. “This is recognition for everybody’s amazing hard work and for the industry.”
Pictured: Shoreline Hotel
Pictured: Ship Inn Stanley
Pictured: Great Lake Hotel
Pictured: The Tasman
“It’s a great result for us and it’s a great result for the central highlands of Tasmania because it is truly one of Tasmania’s hidden gems,” managing director James Johns said. “We’re one of several commercial operations up there and you know, this hopefully will get people to make the hour and a half trip up. “We get that a lot [shock on quality] especially from mainland visitors. Tasmanians have been coming up to the central highlands for a while, but certainly from our mainland visitors, we get the comment ‘we did not expect to see something like this, literally in the middle of Tasmania’ with the food and beverage offerings that we do, and the service.” HOTEL/PUB TAVERN OF THE YEAR – REGIONAL GREAT LAKE HOTEL
It seems every third year is a charm for the Shoreline Hotel. The popular Eastern Shore venue, which boasts an array of offerings for diners, reclaimed the best metropolitan hotel/pub tavern award – a title it has won twice before in 2016 and 2019. Shoreline also took out the best bistro dining category and placed in both the best outdoor/ non-enclosed facility and best live music or entertainment venue categories. Long-time employee and manager Melinda Appleby said it was reward for her and her staff, who have been on a “roller coaster” ride but it was all worth it. HOTEL/PUB TAVERN OF THE YEAR – METRO SHORELINE HOTEL
After purchasing the hotel and surrounding land in 2019, the Johns Group Tasmania has been bringing one of Tasmania’s hidden gems up to world class standards via a multi-million dollar development. Taking out regional hotel/pub tavern of the year, as well as best pub-style accommodation is now set to put the central highlands region well and truly on the map. The refurbishment of the existing hotel rooms secured recognition at this year’s awards, and there could be more in store in coming years once all the hydro lodges and highland huts are complete.
“It means everything to us, we’ve always been in the running for the awards and over the last couple of years with the renovations and what we are trying to achieve at the Shoreline, it has certainly paid off,” she said. “The pub has been on a bit of a roller coaster ride and to come through at the end of it is just an achievement for all the staff. They do a great job. We have had a bit of a change with management at the Shoreline, but at the end of the day it is the front of house staff that certainly give and provide that 110 per cent service.”
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Hospitality Review: June 2022
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