Revitalized Victoria Restaurant Receives International Acclaim
Oct 26, 2009
(News Release) VICTORIA - The Inn at Laurel Point is relishing in the excitement that accompanies receiving an international honour. The Inn’s restaurant, AURA, has won the 1st place award for hospitality design at the Seattle Design Centre’s 2009 Northwest Design Awards. The award was presented to Ledingham Design Consultants, for their transformation of the former Cooks Landing Lounge in to the new high-end, cultivated and stylish AURA.
Hotel manager Scott Hoadley is delighted about capturing the award for Hospitality Design. “Ledingham’s work at AURA is a visual delight, sophisticated without being pretentious, allowing us to draw an urbane, youthful demographic we have not previously reached.”
Rounding out its first year of business, this is the second international award associated with the vibrant new restaurant. In November 2008, AURA’s head chef, Brad Horen and executive sous chef, Patrick Gaylor, took home three gold medals with their west coast inspired dishes at the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany.
It’s not just the judges who have been impressed with AURA’s new look and menu. The refreshing uptown design, award winning cuisine and majestic backdrop of Victoria’s Inner Harbour is gaining AURA increasing popularity among the public. “WHERE magazine voted us one of the top 10 new restaurants in 2008, and, we were also voted Diner’s Choice by Opentable.com,” said Hoardley.
In the first half of 2009, the restaurant has shown a 55% increase in revenue over the former Café that previously occupied the same space.