The Foundry cleans up at AHA awards

The Foundry Hotel Complex has won the coveted Overall Hotel of the Year (Country)  at the Australian Hotels Association 2013 State Awards for Excellence.

The hotel was a finalist in six awards and won four of them.

Fourteen members of the Foundry employee team travelled to the awards on Monday, where the venue was also awarded "Best Gaming Venue with 50 Machines or Less (Country), "Outstanding Achievement in Training" and the "Hotel Industry Rising Star" which was awarded to young employee Maria Watts.

Maria works front of house and has worked at the Foundry for three years.

Her win trumped "rising star" employees from all hotel finalists across Victoria including Melbourne.

The Foundry owners Mike, Sonya, Steve and Veronica Kuchel all attended the awards and described the evening as "exhilarating".

"We are astounded by the outcome, but so proud of what we have achieved and been recognised for," said Sonya Kuchel.

The Foundry team on the night with their Hotel of the Year award.

"Our commitment to training and development for our employees has again shined through, both through the training achievement award, and with Maria Watts named as the Industry Rising Star, against employees from across metropolitan and country Victoria".

Mrs Kuchel said the awards were really important to the hotel and they were not just about the owners but about the whole team of 50 employees.

"It's also the systems and programs we have in place that are working, and the cross-training of employees," she said.

"We get a lot of university students who come and work for us, and once they've been there a while they've learnt how to do weddings, functions, gaming – skills they can take with them around the world."

The Foundry Hotel Complex has won many awards in the past, both at state and national level.

"The award recognition never stops feeling amazing" said Mrs Kuchel, "It really does drive us to be even better".

The American Hotel in Echuca won the Best Redeveloped Hotel in the awards.

Source: Bendigo Advertiser, 22 November 2013