Is Broome’s Roebuck Bay Hotel the best late-night venue in WA? AHA Hospitality Awards suggest so

Broome’s famous Roebuck Bay Hotel — which hosts weekly wet T-shirt competitions and an annual sex toy race dubbed the Buzz Regatta — has been announced as a finalist for an award celebrating the State’s best late-night venues.

The Roey — as the 132-year-old hotel is affectionately known — is embedded in the State’s history books, after being built by London jeweller E.W. Streeter to lure pearling crews to spend time in the North West town.

The hotel will go up against some of the most well-renowned spots, including Market Grounds and Universal Bar in Perth, and the Exchange Hotel in Kalgoorlie at the 2023 AHA Hospitality Awards for Excellence.

While the Australian Hotels Association has revealed the finalists across 39 categories spanning every aspect of restaurants, bars, cafes and other venues in the 2023 AHA-Aon Hospitality Awards for Excellence, The Roey was the only Kimberley finalist recognised.

It’s not the first time The Roey has been nominated for the awards, with the venue a finalist for the Responsible Service of Alcohol Award and the Regional Casual Pub Dining Award in 2018.

It was also recognised as a finalist for four awards in 2020 — the Community Service Award, the Outdoor Area Award, the Regional Casual Pub Dining Award and the Live Entertainment Venue Award.

Karratha’s Fiorita Wine Bar & Restaurant and their staff were the only other North-West business recognised, with the venue being named a finalist across three categories — Cocktail Bar Award, Small Bar Award and Wine List Award.

Fiorita’s head chef Tommy Noon was named finalist in the Head Chef Award, while their bartender, Brandon Debono, was listed among the finalists for the Cocktail Bartender Award.

Exmouth-owned brewer Froth was named a finalist in the new venue category for their Froth Craft Bunbrewery in Bunbury.

2023 AHA-Aon Hospitality Awards for Excellence finalists

Cocktail Bar Award

Bar Lafayette, Perth

Cypher at The Beaufort, Highgate

Fiorita Wine Bar & Restaurant, Karratha

Lucky Chan’s Laundry & Noodle Bar, Northbridge

Subiaco Hotel

Terrarium, Perth

The Peach Pit Scarborough

The Vasse Tavern, Busselton

The West Winds Distillery & Tavern, Cowaramup

Wolf Lane, Perth

Small Bar Award

Bertie, Bassendean

Caballitos, Perth

Fiorita Wine Bar & Restaurant, Karratha

Lucky Chan’s Laundry & Noodle Bar, Northbridge

Terrarium, Perth

The Claisebrook Bar, East Perth

Varnish on King, Perth

Wolf Lane, Perth

Redeveloped Venue Award

Arara, Perth

C.Y. O’Connor Village Pub, Piara Waters

Carrington’s Bar and Grill, Hamilton Hill

Flight Club, Fremantle

Mount Helena Tavern

Nikola Estate, Middle Swan

Shui, Subiaco

The Claremont Hotel

The Vasse Tavern, Busselton

Thorny Devil Brewery, Herron

New Venue Award

Froth Craft Bunbrewery, Bunbury

Oscar’s at Guildford Landing

Phat Brew Club, West Perth

Terrarium, Perth

The West Winds Distillery & Tavern, Cowaramup

Boutique Brewery Award

Bailey Brewing Co., Henley Brook

Beerland at Whitfords Brewing Company, Hillarys

Finlays Kalbarri

FOUND. Lab, Byford

Froth Craft Bunbrewery, Bunbury

Indian Ocean Brewing Co. The Marina Mindarie

Phat Brew Club, West Perth

Thorny Devil Brewery, Herron

Late Night Venue Award

Exchange Hotel, Kalgoorlie

Market Grounds, Perth

Roebuck Bay Hotel, Broome

Subiaco Hotel

Universal Bar, Perth

Restaurant Award

Dandelion, Karrinyup

Hadiqa, Perth

La Cabana, South Fremantle

Lotus at The Beaufort, Highgate

Odyssea, City Beach

Oscar’s at Guildford Landing

Post at State Buildings, Perth

Seven Sins Perth Hills, Roleystone

Shui, Subiaco

Stampa! at Print Hall, Perth

The Claremont Hotel

The Shorehouse, Swanbourne

Toma at Pirate Life Perth

Tonic + Ginger at The Old Synagogue, Fremantle

Woodcutters at Nikola Estate, Middle Swan

Superior Restaurant Award

Garum, The Westin Perth

Nobu, Crown Perth Burswood

Samuels on Mill, Parmelia Hilton Perth

Wildflower at State Buildings, Perth

Wine List Award

Fiorita Wine Bar & Restaurant, Karratha

Garum, The Westin Perth

Island Market, Trigg

Mayfair Lane Pub & Dining Room, West Perth

Settlers Tavern, Margaret River

Shui, Subiaco

Stampa! at Print Hall, Perth

The Claremont Hotel

The Shorehouse, Swanbourne

Wildflower at State Buildings, Perth

Family Dining Award

Bailey Brewing Co., Henley Brook

C.Y. O’Connor Village Pub, Piara Waters

Cobblers Tavern, Falcon

Finlay’s Kalbarri

Kailis Fishmarket Café, Fremantle

Mount Helena Tavern

Rustlers Steakhouse & Grill, Albany

The Amberton Beach Bar and Kitchen, Eglinton

The Boat, The Marina Mindarie

The Henley Brook

The Rose Hotel & Motel, Bunbury

Thorny Devil Brewery, Herron

Treendale Farm Hotel, Australind

Victoria Park Hotel

Head Chef Award

Ashish Gagneja, Chakra Restaurant

Tommy Noon, Fiorita Wine Bar & Restaurant

Bryan Jimenez, Optus Stadium

Ian Macintosh, Phat Brew Club

Jemma Hocking, Queens Tavern

Paul Beard, RAC Arena

Ross Booth, Rose & Crown Hotel

‘Bobby’ Sein Kim, Settlers Tavern

Leigh Power, Shui

Sundoo Kim, The Beaufort

Nick Trezise, The Claremont Hotel

Andre Nunes, Victoria Park Hotel

Nicole Finlay, Wanneroo Villa Tavern

Cocktail Bartender Award

Marco Manca, Bar Lafayette

Philip Jones, C.Y. O’Connor Village Pub

Brandon Debono, Fiorita Wine Bar & Restaurant

Samantha Hoare, La Cabana

Sujit KC, Lucky Chan’s Laundry & Noodle Bar

Samantha Broadbent, Mount Helena Tavern

Charles “Ziggy” Campbell, Shui

David Xander Stucken, Terrarium Perth

Sabrina Mill, The Amberton Beach Bar and Kitchen

Ryan Ingham, The Vasse Tavern