To celebrate the recent £1.5 million refurbishment and the hotel’s ten year anniversary since opening in 2003, Jurys Inn Newcastle on Scotswood Road held a prestigious birthday party for local VIPs and corporate guests on Thursday18th April, including attendance from Emmerdale stars Vicky Binns and Tom Lister, local rugby hero, Newcastle Falcons’ Matt Thompson and Durham-born boxer, Glenn McCrory.
The event, which showcased the 274 bedroom hotel’s fresh new look including a stylish new bar and restaurant, offered a varied programme of entertainment including a cocktail demonstration from the nearby Life Science Centre.
Sheila Smith, from Newcastle’s Life Science Centre, says “Situated just across the road from Jurys Inn Newcastle, we couldn’t resist the invitation to demonstrate some of our cocktail concoctions at the hotel’s birthday party and think the crowd was truly amazed, by both the taste and the science behind the cocktails. Lots of the families who visit the Life Science Centre stay at the hotel when visiting the city and the great location certainly helps to drive visitors to the exciting events we hold.”
Guests were greeted with cocktails and canapés as they entered the newly refurbished lobby area, where they were invited to relax and mingle with fellow attendees including Jurys Inn’s corporate clients, local VIPs and media.
Newcastle Falcons’ Matt Thompson, said, “I stay in the city centre a lot for training and Jurys Inn Newcastle is in a fantastic central location. The refurbished hotel looks great and I’m sure it’ll encourage others to stay at the hotel when visiting the city for both leisure and business trips.”
Newcastle Chef’s Academy Patisserie and Confectionery students, Belinda Miller 43 and Colin Cavanagh, 48, who used their skills developed on the College’s Patisserie course hand crafted the birthday cake and decorated it to mark the hotel’s 10th birthday.
Nigel Grant, Pastry Lecturer at Newcastle College Chef’s Academy, said: “We were thrilled to be asked to make the 10th birthday cake for Jurys Inn Newcastle to help celebrate their recent refurbishment, the hotel is looking great. It’s the perfect opportunity for our students who made and decorated the cake, Belinda Miller and Colin Cavanagh, to showcase the skills they have learnt from studying our Patisserie and Confectionery course. The course helped both students start their own cake decorating businesses in the city, Belinda runs Velvet & Lace and Colin runs Cav’s Cakes. We’ve had some fantastic feedback for this birthday cake tonight and we wish Jurys Inn Newcastle a very happy 10th birthday!”
At the event, which closed with a speech from newly appointed City General Manager, Jason Dalus, guests were treated to an array of birthday treats from ice cream carts to party games as well as enjoying the current ‘must have’ item at any function, a photo booth from Deluxe Occasions, based in the North East.
Deluxe Occasions Owner, Chris Allan said, “We know all about helping to create a memorable and enjoyable occasion so we were delighted to bring along our photo booth to capture a record of Jurys Inn Newcastle’s 10th birthday. The newly refurbished hotel is so stylish, I particularly like the design of the restaurant. I’ve had a great time here tonight and I wish the hotel all the best for the next ten years!”
As part of the renovation programme, the hotel has seen all 274 bedrooms, all nine meeting rooms and all public areas refurbished to boast a stylish contemporary look. In addition to the bar and restaurant, Jurys Inn Newcastle also benefits from a Costa coffee bar, perfect for those looking to grab a quick coffee as they pass through or for informal business meetings.
Jason Dalus, City General Manager, Jurys Inn Newcastle, said, ‘It’s been tremendous seeing all our hard work come together and tonight’s event was truly the icing on the cake. We’re extremely pleased with the hotel’s sophisticated new look and have already received some great feedback from our guests. We hope everyone enjoyed the celebrations and look forward to our next ten years in the city.”