Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa

Despite a glass-and-brick '70s-style facade, this hotel opened its doors in 2003, and is just one of eight in the Apex Hotel chain. Inside, the retro-chic styling continues, with modern low-profile furnishings, swaths of red-marble tile flooring, and plenty of clean minimalist lines. The impression is smart and professional, while calming background music sets a relaxing tone throughout the spacious reception area. A pair of elevators take guests to one of six floors, while the hotel's roomy high-ceilinged bar-restaurant provides plenty of space for visitors to gather and take in views over Dundee's old docks.

The hotel has an excellent position overlooking the old harbor, now a scenic and relatively quiet part of the city with plenty of post-industrial charm as well as a smattering of restaurants and shops. The banks of the Tay River are a two-minute walk away, while Dundee center is also a few minutes away in the other direction -- including the Dundee Overgate shopping mall -- which is full of fashion retailers, department stores, and fast-food outlets. Dundee's train station is within a 10-minute walk, while those arriving by car will find the hotel is just off the Tay Road Bridge. Dundee Airport is about a 10-minute drive away.

The hotel's 151 rooms all embody homey yet modern styling, with simple wooden furnishings, carpeted floors, and personal touches such as fresh flowers and animal-towel sculptures -- though there are a few signs of wear and tear. Business-friendly amenities include large desks with executive-style chairs and free high-speed Wi-Fi and UK calls, while tea- and coffee-making facilities and 42-inch flat-screen TVs with Freeview channels come standard. Suites add bathrobes and mini-fridges to the amenity mix. Black-and-white photos celebrate the docks' past. While rooms at the front of the building have views over the water, others look out on the less scenic Tay Bridge. Nicely finished bathrooms have tubs and walk in-showers with luxury Elemis toiletries, while every room gets a rubber ducky, which guests can take home (free of charge).

Metro Bar and Brasserie restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a menu of international flavors accompanied byquay-side views -- though breakfast isn't typically included in the standard room package. The hotel's Yu Spa is well-equipped, with an ozone (chlorine-free) pool, herbal infused sauna and steam room, and Japanese hot tubs, as well as body and beauty treatments with Elemis products. An on-site gym provides cardio and weight-training equipment with built-in TVs and Internet access, while there's private parking free of charge.