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Don’t believe the signs: the Cuddle ‘n’ Bubble Package no longer exists

Don’t believe the signs: the Cuddle ‘n’ Bubble Package no longer exists

It was the ultimate romantic experience for loved-up Canberra couples in the 1990s and sometimes even newlyweds on their wedding night – but C! News can confirm Capital Executive Apartment Hotel’s Cuddle ‘n’ Bubble Package is dead.

Despite the iconic blue and yellow sign still standing on Northbourne Avenue – and an even bigger promotion for the romantic special on the side of the hotel building itself – a representative from the hotel confirms that booking the package for a special night is no longer an option.

They supplied the bubbles (in this spa) and Canberra supplied the cuddles.

An extensive peruse of the hotel’s website confirms the terrible news.

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The Cuddle ‘n’ Bubble Package was designed by Capital Executive Apartment Hotel in the 1990s to attract couples looking for a romantic getaway in the heart of Canberra’s CBD. Its memorable tagline, ‘You supply the cuddles, we supply the bubbles’, was splashed over mainstream media and the romantic package became an instant hit. The Cuddle ‘n’ Bubble billboard on Northbourne Avenue was born.

The package encouraged couples to “indulge your senses” with accommodation in a one-bedroom spa suite, with champagne and chocolates on arrival, a buffet breakfast and a late check-out (before late check-outs were kind of standard).

After seeing this sign on the side of the building, I attempted to book a package for Valentine’s Day this year. That was when I received the shocking news.

But the piece de resistance was a three-course meal from Italian restaurant The Haig, which you could enjoy in the restaurant facing Girrahween Street, Braddon, or cheekily have delivered to your room.

When The Haig closed in August of 2018, the Cuddle ‘n’ Bubble Package died too.

A Capital Executive Apartment Hotel staff member said the hotel’s big focus in 2020 was “the family market”, with most rooms now offering both a double bed and a set of bunk beds. 

Is this the perfect room for a romantic getaway? You’ll never know.

Even the one-bedroom spa suites once enjoyed by the Cuddle ‘n’ Bubble-rs of the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s seem to have been reconfigured to include a set of bunk beds; the antithesis of a romantic night away if ever there was one.

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Did you enjoy the Cuddle ‘n’ Bubble Package on your wedding night? Or as a romantic getaway early on in a new relationship? We’d love to hear your stories! Email editor@qnews.io

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About the Author: Bree Element

Part bogan, part wannabe plus-size model and part journalist, Bree's the woman behind Q! News. She's a pop culture obsessive who's deeply in love with her hometown, Queanbeyan, and the neighbouring capital. A born storyteller, she's been writing locally, nationally and internationally for more than 25 years.