Skip to main content
  • Apex Hotels
  • Destinations
  • Meetings & Events
  • Inspiration
  • Offers
  • About
Book Now
Contact Us
Join / Login
Hotels
Restaurants
Spas
London
  • Apex Temple Court Hotel
  • Apex London Wall Hotel
  • Apex City of London Hotel
  • Chambers
  • Lazy Ballerinas
  • Off The Wall Bar & Grill
  • The Lampery
Bath
  • Apex City of Bath Hotel
  • The Orange Artichoke
Edinburgh
  • Apex Waterloo Place Hotel
  • Apex Grassmarket Hotel
  • Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel
  • Apex Haymarket Hotel
  • Elliot's
  • Metro
  • Agua
  • Metro West End
  • Yu Spa
Glasgow
  • Apex City of Glasgow Hotel
  • The Lounge
Dundee
  • Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa
  • Quayside Bar & Grill
  • Yu Spa
Hybrid Events at Apex Hotels
Event Type
Attendees
Hotels
London
  • Conferences & Meetings
  • Hybrid Events
  • Weddings
  • Special Occasions
  • Festive
  • Outdoor Spaces
  • Legal
  • 5+
  • 10+
  • 20+
  • 50+
  • 100+
  • 200+
  • Apex Temple Court Hotel
  • Apex London Wall Hotel
  • Apex City of London Hotel
Bath
  • Conferences & Meetings
  • Hybrid Events
  • Weddings
  • Special Occasions
  • Festive
  • 5+
  • 10+
  • 20+
  • 50+
  • 100+
  • 200+
  • Apex City of Bath Hotel
Edinburgh
  • Conferences & Meetings
  • Hybrid Events
  • Weddings
  • Special Occasions
  • Festive
  • 5+
  • 10+
  • 20+
  • 50+
  • 100+
  • 200+
  • Apex Waterloo Place Hotel
  • Apex Grassmarket Hotel
  • Apex Haymarket Hotel
Dundee
  • Conferences & Meetings
  • Hybrid Events
  • Weddings
  • Special Occasions
  • Festive
  • 5+
  • 10+
  • 20+
  • 50+
  • 100+
  • 200+
  • Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa
apex

A Blast From The Past

Blog
#25th Anniversary
We feel honoured to have welcomed so many friendly faces over the past 25 years, after all, at the heart of all that we do, is you. Since 1996, it has been our pleasure to help our guests create memorable experiences and meaningful memories that they can share with us, and others. Recently, we were reminded why our efforts are so worthwhile.

Congratulations Grassmarket Apex Hotel, 25 years on. 

My wife, Anna and I stayed at this hotel 27th-28th May 1996 room 111. 

How did we get there. 2 weeks prior my boss gave me the time off and so we contacted a travel agent and booked a plane from Napier NZ to Auckland, to Hong Kong, to London to Edinburgh. At such short notice our travel agent tried to book us into an hotel in Princess St @ 127 pounds/night. Then told us the next day that hotel was full and the next she could get us was slightly more expensive at over 200 pounds/night. 

 We phoned the Scottish Tourism board who said if we didn’t mind we could stay in the Apex Grassmarket Hotel for (using memory here) 38 pounds/night although the hotel was still being built.  

At Apex hotel. Our room faced the castle, we were so happy. After 36hrs in airports and on planes a view of the castle was the ultimate place to be. Naturally I went straight to sleep only to be woken up by Anna to hear the bagpiper playing on the castle ramparts. I don’t think Anna had slept at all on the aeroplane, so she was doing an impression of the energizer bunny! 

Two more firsts, the first was the window opened from the top inwards and we had never seen a trouser press before. Our diary entry recorded our bus trip from the airport to Princess Street…. 

Into the city itself on a double-decker bus (another first) 3.50 pounds for 15 miles! The bus driver was a Jackie Stewart protege creating three lanes when there were only two, but he certainly woke us up :) 

Our Apex stay was divine, excellent service, beautiful room, fantastic view, and the breakfast was just what we needed to charge our batteries. Staying at the Apex reduced or jet-lag to hours rather than ‘days’ we were expecting.  

We had been booked to take another trip to the UK and were packed to leave when a certain mountain in Iceland stopped all travel. However, we did manage to stay at the Grassmarket once more since then. We liked the great service and breakfasts had, if anything, improved. I nice touch was the 3rd level floor sign, sliced kiwifruit, made us feel right at home.  

I don’t know if you celebrate 25yr anniversary when the hotel’s first clod was dug, when the first guest was welcomed or when the hotel was ‘finished’ but celebrate it you should because as one gets older, we like to check the milestones in our lives are still there and be able to say, “we stayed there in 1996, one of the early guests.”. 

Again, congratulations, Kia kaha (stay strong) 

Kind regards 

Antony Michael and Ann Lyndon White (passports, New Zealand) 

Known as Tony and Anna 

If the sentiment didn’t shock you, we’re sure the long-gone prices of 1996 did!  

International Women's Day
Apex Christmas Gift Guide

Sign Up For News and Inspiration

RELATED ARTICLES

Celebrate 25 Years With Us
BLOG / #Travel
Celebrate 25 Years With Us
BLOG / #city guide
5 Days in Bath
BLOG / #City Guide
5 Days in London
  • Help & FAQs
  • Apex Assured
  • Careers
  • Notices
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Cookies
  • Sitemap
  • Modern Slavery Statement
  • Sustainability
  • Gender Pay Gap Report
  • Terms
© Apex Hotels 2022
Close Booking Widget

Book a Hotel

Choose a Date
By phone
On email

APEX INSIDER

Wanna be a VIP? Become an Apex Insider today and get access to exclusive benefits and rewards! Instant 10% discount, complimentary upgrade, late checkout and more, every time you stay. It’s luxury for less! 

FIND OUT MORE