The Levin Suite at The Capital Hotel,London. It has for more than 40 years been regarded as one of the world's top boutique hotels.
One of Britain's most successful hoteliers has fired a broadside at Australian hotel service and accused television cooking shows of making restaurant cuisine too complicated.
David Levin,owner of the award-winning Capital and Levin boutique hotels in London and a mentor to leading chefs including Gary Rhodes,says guests are being offered lower standards of hospitality in many top Australian hotels than they might enjoy in their own homes.
“Many of the staff in leading Australian hotels don't understand the meaning of hospitality – a lot of them don't have a clue,” says Levin,who has visited Australia every year for 42 years and has just concluded a six-week visit to Sydney and Melbourne.
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"It is a tragedy that Australia has so few privately-owned and managed hotels,"Levin said yesterday."Most hotels here are run by large groups who are rewarded for their efforts by earning a share of the hotel's profits. That naturally means that corners are cut in terms of quality furnishings and staff levels. It's a conflict."
And Scottish-born Levin,who began his hotel career as a waiter in the Malmaison Hotel in Glasgow in 1952,says restaurant meals in Australia are far too complicated.
"Thanks to shows like'My Kitchen Whatever',there are far too many ingredients in some dishes,"Levin says."People are simply trying too hard. Often simpler would be better and people might be encouraged to eat out more often. If you have a lovely piece of turbot,or plaice,you don't need to do much with it. It simply tastes good. Sometimes 25 ingredients can be too much."
They've forgotten about service ... you can't say to a guest who is maybe hungry and jet-lagged that 'breakfast service is over'.
Levin said he hoped his comments would be a wake-up call to Australian hotel owners,some of whom,he said,were charging more than in other major cities in the world.