AHA NSW has honoured long-serving Newcastle hotelier Rolly De With with the illustrious status of life member at a special ceremony held this week at Quay, Sydney.
AHA NSW and National President Scott Leach was at the event to present him with the member pin.
“A life membership of AHA NSW is not given lightly,” Mr Leach said.
“It is a rare honour, given to those few who have shown a lifelong commitment to the industry. I would like to congratulate Rolly on his years of service to our great industry.”
Mr De With, introduced by fellow executive member Des Kennedy, said being made a life member was an “incredible honour.”
“I have been fortunate to find success within an industry that is both exciting, challenging and rewarding but I could not accept such an honour without paying tribute to those who came before me - those who taught me what it means not just to run a hotel, but to be a hotelier,” he said.
“I also owe so much to my family - my wife Helen and our children Nicholas and Sophia. To succeed in this industry requires time, effort and commitment.
“Spending 30 years as a hotelier can take its toll, but I have the great fortune of being part of a family that is not only strong, but loyal and which understands the importance of never ever giving up. Without them and the mentors who came before me I would not have been able to achieve so much throughout my career, so it is to them this honour really belongs.”
Throughout his career Rolly has been the driving force behind some of Newcastle’s most successful venues including Fanny’s, The Castle, The Mercury Bar & Restaurant, Heat Nightclub, The Premier Hotel, Sunnyside Tavern and The Junction Hotel.