Adelphi Hotel owners branded worst in country by Which? magazine

The Britannia group, who own the iconic hotel, have been voted the 'worst hotel group' in Britain

The Owners of Liverpool’s iconic Adelphi hotel have been rated the worst hotel chain in the country, we sent reporter Alisha Rouse to spend a night in the city landmark.

The Liverpool Echo spent the night in the hotel and this is what they said.....

The lights are out at the Adelphi hotel.

Quite literally, only the letters spelling ‘tel’ out of ‘Brittania Adelphi Hotel’ remain illuminated above its iconic revolving doors.

Run-down for sure, the exterior looks like an opening shot from Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell.

The Adelphi is one of several Merseyside hotels owned by Britannia, which scored a terrible 33% customer rating from 6,000 customers of Which? magazine.

I was keen to find out if the rating was fair.

My double room cost £72 for the night, with dinner and breakfast thrown in - at that price booked last minute, you’d be hard pressed to find better value in such a central location.

At dinner, a disappointingly holiday camp-esque all-you-can-eat buffet is laid out for the sprinkling of guests.

You have to get your own glass of water, and you can’t charge a glass of wine to your room - so unless you’re packing cash in your pocket, it’s set to be a dry, dreary dining experience.

If you’re looking to inhale food, and piping hot pub grub sat in a heated tray for hours doesn’t bother you, it’s a cheap, cheerful and relaxed meal.

My room was big, you could move the Brady Bunch into that thing and you’d still have space to swing the family cat.

The bed was clean and pillows plush, with the usual tea and coffee making tray in case you fancy overdosing on caffeine while watching BBC News 24.

All the main components are there, and they’re fine- it’s the attention to detail that’s seemingly completely absent from the place.

The corners of the room are dirty and I was forced to take a morning bath as the shower didn’t work.

With rooms offering stunning views of our great city, I was sadly lumped in a basement room.

The view was of an industrial courtyard, littered with cigarette buts, a dirty pair of socks and what appeared to be a condom wrapper.

Taking a wander around the Adelphi as midnight drew in, it’s easy to see how grand it was in its hay-day.

The central ball room is treated to high-ceilings, palace-style chandeliers and a grandiose feeling that something really special used to happen here.

But now, it’s only an 80s-style cabaret act, advertised by an aesthetically-offensive glittery silver sign, that seeks to entertain you during these long Winter nights.

Things are just old. Really old. The walls are dirty, and years of guests chipping away at the woodwork is obvious all around you.

Carpets are stained, and everything appears to be slowly fraying at the edges.

Breakfast was your usual affair, unlimited bacon, hash browns and sausages served up buffet-style for hungry tourists, and there’s nothing wrong with keeping things simple.

But so simple that you forget to ask if your guest enjoyed their stay upon check-out, is a kind of simple that doesn’t reflect the city’s vibrant personality.

And yes, it’s cheap and reasonably clean. But that simply doesn’t cut it in today’s cut-throat tourism industry.

Britannia Hotels were approached by the ECHO but declined to comment on the Which? rating.

This story supplied by the Liverpool Echo