Manchester street artist Qubek has helped open the city’s newest luxury hotel with a bespoke mural.
The Clayton Hotel, which opened yesterday on Portland Street, will feature the artwork - a Manchester bee which has been completed in situ - in its reception area.
The opening also featured music supplied by students from the Royal Northern College of Music.
Qubek, whose real name is Russ Meehan, has his work all over Manchester, as well as adorning shop fronts and buildings.
With bees being a frequent theme, he painted a giant mural on the side of the famous Koffee Pot cafe in the Northern Quarter.
It featured 22 bees, each symbolising the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing.
Meehan also works with Manchester City Council to secure spaces around the city to be used for street art.
The hotel’s manager Filiz Smith said: “What better way for the Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre to be introduced to the city than to appear in a piece of street art by Qubek.
“I love seeing the hotel stand alongside other famous landmarks and of course the Manchester Bee and all that it symbolises for the city.
“We have a fantastic team in place who are passionate about offering wonderful local hospitality for our guests. As the artwork shows, we are ready to take our place in this city and region and add to the already amazing attractions Manchester has to offer.”
The new, four-star hotel, part of the Irish hotel group Dalata, has cost £45 million to complete, and will bring 87 new jobs to the city.
It also features an unusual double and additional single bed in the majority of its rooms as standard, and with 329 rooms in all, is the third biggest in Manchester.
