A MAJOR city hotel in a key historic location has become a 'dirty' and 'shabby' eyesore which looks like 'a Soviet-era block' say critics.
The Premier Inn in New Road, Worcester, forms part of the gateway to Worcester city, near the iconic Worcestershire County Cricket Club and close to the city's medieval Cathedral.
However, recent photos of the hotel show it looking less than its best with dirty marks all over the formerly pristine white walls of the building and graffiti near the entrance.
One city architect and historic building consultant, who did not wish to be named, said: "The building itself is appalling. It's grim. It looks like a Soviet block, half-finished. It's not being maintained.
"You have dirty marks where all the fans are expelling the air. It's awful.
"It's now looking so shabby. They have got to do something.
"It's a gateway to the city. It's an iconic location right by the road bridge overlooking the river and the Cathedral.
"It's shameful. They need to get their paintbrushes out to start with."
Paul Harding of Discover History said: "Working in heritage and delivering popular walking tours all year round means I see even subtle changes to our historical environment.
"These might include a new crack in the Medieval city wall, daub and plaster damage to a timber framed house or even graffiti added to a Victorian boundary wall. Fortunately, these examples are rare.
"One thing we notice more is that modern buildings just don't weather very well. The Premier Inn located next to the cricket ground is a perfect example.
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"Modern buildings look tired after only a few years, despite them requiring less maintenance than something over 100 years old.
"It's such a shame to see buildings looking unkempt, and it shows Worcester in a bad light.
"I would be interested to see a Premier Inn or concrete multi-storey carpark in 800 years' time. Old structures seem to fair much better than recent ones.''
The hotel is owned by Whitbread which describes itself as 'the UK’s biggest hotel brand, and with a growing presence in Germany offering quality accommodation at affordable prices'.
A spokesperson for Whitbread said: "Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We understand the hotel is in a key part of Worcester and will add it to our maintenance schedule to review the cosmetic issues."
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