City’s Hyatt hotel receives zero hygiene rating

BIRMINGHAM’S Hyatt Regency hotel has received a zero hygiene rating after an inspection by health watchdogs.

The four-star hotel off Broad Street failed to meet the standards required by the city’s environmental health team.

It was served with the lowest food hygiene rating available and told to make “urgent improvements” following the inspection on June 8 this year.

Inspectors criticised the Hyatt’s “cleanliness and condition of facili- ties and building ” which includes layout, ventilation, hand-washing facilities and pest control. Management of food safety was also said to need “major improvement.”

This part of the test ensures that systems or checks are in place to ensure that food is safe to eat, requires evidence that staff know about food safety, and that the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future.

The found inspection team, however, actual food handling and preparation to be “generally satisfactory”.

The hotel, regularly used by visitors to the International Convention Centre, including prime ministers, has three restaurants and offers rooms for up to £135 a night.

Hotel management say that flooding, which occurred three days before the inspection, had an impact on conditions at the time.

“We did have a visit during the flash floods that hit Birmingham,” said a spokeswoman. “All the findings were rectified within 48 hours.

“We have had two visits since and they are very happy we have met, and exceeded, expectations.”

The Hyatt Regency is the highest profile name in a list of failed inspections published on the Food Standards Agency website.

Well-known China Town buffet eateries Chung Ying Garden Cantonese Restaurant in Thorp Street and Ming Moon in Hurst Street were also served with zero ratings after inspections in May and June respectively. Both declined to comment.