People have shared memories of what used to be one of Southport's most luxurious hotels.
The Prince of Wales Hotel on Lord Street used to be a social hub that played host to parties for hundreds and would be booming every weekend in its prime years. Now it is a run-down hotel with a mediocre Trip Advisor rating.
The hotel was bought by Britannia in 2000 but before that, it had deep roots in the town. People have shared their memories of the hotel when it was once in its prime.
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One person told the ECHO via a social media callout: "Such a shame. The hotel used to be an important item on the social calendar in Southport yet now it has to rely on cut-price coach tours to get anyone through the doors. Wouldn’t be at all surprised if it closed its doors and became apartments within the next decade."
Another woman said: "Anyone who visits now, those who remember when it was the most beautiful hotel would be deeply saddened by its vast deterioration." One person reminisced about the time their dad worked there.
They said: "My father worked in one of the bars there back in the 60s. I always thought it so posh and upmarket when they had the Xmas balls. What a dump now."
Despite the fond memories shared by many, one man didn't have the same nostalgic memories of the hotel. He said: "I always have thought that the Prince of Wales at its height in the late sixties to the eighties was everything that a great hotel should not be.
"It was pretentious and snobby and hideously boring. The food was unimaginative and the service was laughably mediocre. As an institution, it went out of its way to ignore local people who if they dared venture into the overpriced vaults would be met by substandard ale and pure English snoot."
Now, the hotel has fallen far from its perch as being a luxurious hotel. The Britannia-owned establishment still sits on an impressive patch of Lord Street but has lost its glamour over years gone by.
Last year the ECHO spoke to one disappointed visitor of the Prince of Wales. Dave and Shirley Coe, from Worcestershire, booked a trip to Southport to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary - but said their trip was ruined by the "filthy" hotel. As it was a very special occasion, they booked the hotel's penthouse suite and paid extra for a bottle of champagne on arrival, and they said this brought the total cost of their stay to £527, including breakfast and dinner.
But when the pair arrived at the hotel on June 4, they were "completely and utterly disappointed".
Dave told the ECHO : "Where do we even start? We got there, the penthouse suite, the balcony was filthy and covered in cigarette ends. There were no seats on the balcony, but even if there were I wouldn't have chanced sitting out there. It looked like it could've collapsed at any minute.
"The curtains to the balcony were torn to bits, the lock on the door didn't work, and the door itself was rotting. The bathroom had tiles missing, the shower was covered in slime, and the toilet didn't work properly. The sink had an 'out of order, do not use' sign on it.
"None of the windows worked, there was broken wood on the dressing table. It was a nightmare. I used to stay [there] thirty years ago and it was a beautiful hotel then."
Britannia Hotels was approached for comment.
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