The partnership will license a programme of unique Beano themed experiences for guests to the hotel over the next 12 months. Topping the bill is the launch of a Beano inspired bedroom, a fun filled family room packed with Beano art and decorations, featuring some of the comic’s most famous characters, including Dennis and his canine pal Gnasher.
Subject to availability and via request, the Beano inspired room can be reserved when booking ‘Blamazing Break’, a limited-edition overnight package created as part of the 20th birthday celebrations. The package includes some 20 inspired value adds and discounts including up to 20% off a stay, £20 dining credit per adult and 20% off treatments at Yu Spa. Guests also receive a keepsake comic strip and a limited-edition duck called Splasher. Meanwhile kids under 12 stay and eat for free and can dive into a joke themed goodie bag and a Beano map for taking in the city sights. A special Beano-inspired menu is available for kids and Beanotown burgers for adults at the stylish Quayside Bar & Grill.
Keeping to the duck theme, the hotel has also commissioned a giant duck statute of Splasher dressed in the famous red and black stripes. Arriving at the hotel in June, Splasher will stand in the hotel foyer welcoming guests, as well as posing for those Instagram shots.
As part of the wider anniversary celebrations, the hotel has also raised money for a range of local causes since launching its ’20 week of charity’ campaign back in December. Hotel staff and partners have so far raised over £20,000 for Dundee based charities Maggies, the Dundee Bairns and The Grey Lodge Settlement in Hilltown.
Apex City Quay first opened its doors in Dundee on March 21st 2003 and was the 3rd of owner Norman Springfield’s properties to join the Apex family. Since then, the hotel has welcomed over million guests, and played host to some of the city’s biggest events, including the annual Courier Business Awards.
The contemporary restaurant, Quayside Bar & Grill has been a staple of Dundee’s cultural life over the years, serving a whopping 850,000 meals, 450,000 pints of larger and 1.4 million coffees. The restaurant and bar were refurbished in 2020 and was recently voted one of the UK’s most Instagrammable.
In more recent years, the hotel has introduced a range of wellness services as spa-cations have risen in popularity. Yu Spa, Apex Hotels own dedicated spa and wellness brand, was first launched in Dundee back in 2003 and has since provided over 76,000 treatments to guests and visitors.
Paul Mooney, Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa General Manager said: “We’re delighted and proud to partner with Beano to mark our 20th anniversary. Beano and Apex are synonymous with the city of Dundee, so this is a partnership that we believe showcases the very best of what our city has to offer. It’s also about offering something truly unique that appeals to a universal audience.
It’s an absolute privilege to be General Manager at this exciting time during the 20th birthday milestone. In my time as GM, with the launch of iconic venues such as the V&A and over £1 billion invested in the Dundee Waterfront, I have seen the city transform into one of Scotland’s cultural hubs.
The city of Dundee and its wider community have given us so much over the years, helping us grow and thrive as a business. The city is amazing for the collegiate and collaborative atmosphere between businesses, and I like to think we have played our part in helping Dundee prosper. Our role as a hub for tourism, commerce and events is an immense source of pride for me and the entire team. Cheers to the next 20 years!”
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About Apex Hotels
Apex Hotels is a family-owned 4-star hotel group with nine hotels in some of the UK’s most popular city centre locations, including London, Bath, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee.
The hotel group was founded by Scottish entrepreneur Norman Springford who opened his first hotel in 1996, Apex Grassmarket Hotel in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town. Since then, Apex Hotels has grown into one of the UK’s leading independent luxury hotel chains, attracting tourists and corporate guests from across the globe.
Apex Hotels’ most recent hotel, the magnificent 177-bedroom Apex City of Bath joined the group in 2017. It is the group’s first purpose-built hotel and the first of its portfolio to be opened outside of Scotland and London.
As well as offering consistently high standards for its business and leisure guests, Apex Hotels has a committed approach to environmental and sustainable tourism practices. It is one of few independent hotel groups to win a Silver Green Tourism award for all nine of its hotels.
Hotel portfolio:
Apex Grassmarket, Edinburgh 31-35 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2HS
Apex City of Edinburgh, Edinburgh 61 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2JF
Apex Waterloo Place, Edinburgh 23-27 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3BG
Apex City of Glasgow, Glasgow 110 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 2EN
Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa, Dundee 1 West Victoria Dock Road, Dundee, DD1 3JP | Apex City of London, London 1 Seething Lane, London EC3N 4AX
Apex London Wall, London 7-9 Copthall Avenue, London EC2R 7NJ
Apex Temple Court, London 1-2 Serjeants’ Inn, London EC4Y 1AG
Apex City of Bath, Bath James Street West, Bath BA1 2DA |
Restaurants, Bars & Spas:
London | Edinburgh | Dundee | Bath | Glasgow |
Lazy Ballerinas | Agua | Quayside Bar & Grill | The Orange Artichoke | The Lounge |
The Lampery, Seething Lane | Metro | Yu Spa
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The Lampery, Copthall Avenue | Elliot's |
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ABOUT BEANO
Beano was first published in July 1938 and is still created every week in its original Dundee headquarters and printed in the UK. Voted Children’s Magazine of the Year in 2022 in the PPA Scotland Awards, Beano recently reported an ABC of 54,876 and is in its sixth consecutive year of circulation growth. The brand reaches over 5m fans a month on its digital network, centred around multi-award winning Beano.com, featuring jokes, quizzes, and games in a kid safe environment.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For media enquiries please contact:
James Walter: 07483 422912 / james.walter@apexhotels.co.uk
