When I saw the price I could get a double room in the Adelphi on the web, I was amazed. I thought it must be some off-peak, midweek price but I was staying in Liverpool for a night so I though I'd give it a go.

Unfortunately I was flying into Liverpool relatively early in the morning and had to wait for 2:30pm check in but once we got to check in at 3pm I was relieved that I'd soon be getting rid of my bags and a short rest. Going up to the room I realized I was wrong as the cleaner stopped us from entering since it had not yet been cleaned! We eventually managed to get her to let us in to leave our bags, seeing the room covered in Pizza boxes and other guests' mess wasn't the best first impression but I'll get back to the room later.

We left the room and decided to wait it out in the lounge. This room is fantastic, it is huge, with a high glass ceiling and impressive chandaleirs. I imagined how busy this room would have been in the grand old days of the Adelphi, but was soon to continue to discover why it was not so full at this point.

Upon ascending the stairs back to the room I noticed the huge amount of dust and dirt on the white stairs. This was not a week's build up but these had not been cleaned in months, not to be expected for a hotel of the Adelphi's reputation.

Back to the room, still not cleaned!

Went down to the bar this time to have a drink to calm my nerves, it was quiet, a traditional bar with an older, dingey look. Not much to write about

Back upstairs, the room still was not cleaned. It was about 5pm by the tiem the room was ready to occupy.

By this time I was dying to get some rest but I wasn't so keen when I lifted back the sheets to see the bed was covered in hair, it didn't seem human hair, maybe it was more a fluff than hair, but there was plenty of it and this was nothing less than disgusting. I found myself wondering if the bed linen
had not been changed at all or how else the maid had managed this, I decided that, in the interests of getting some rest, this was best out of mind.

When I woke I now checked out the room, it had basic facilities, was decorated in an old fashioned manner but served the purpose of sleeping. The window unfortunately pointed inwards and being on the first floor, this meant I could see the roof of the lounge right outside the window. I guess it's pot luck as to whether you face in or out.

The bathroom was unheated, had no shower and was a little less than clean, not dirty but not pristine either, the suite in the bathroom was also, like much of the furniture, not particularly modern. The hotel is old but this is no excuse for having furniture which is not new with a 50 year old look but 15 years old with a 1980s look, very disappointing.

The final disappointment came when I returned from dinner later to find the night staff on the door nothing short of rude. They were unhappy at letting us return to the hotel and they had difficulty understanding the concept of paying attention to us when we asked for our key, preferring to continue chatting in spite of our continued requests.

Upon leaving the next morning I was throroughly disappointed with the hotel, it's staff and the upkeep of the hotel. I was maybe a little reassured by the member of staff I saw now siping down the stairs, but when I realized that the lack of care had caused the stairs to have a permanent look of grime, this faded.

All in all the Adelphi needs refurbishment, new furniture, a thorough cleaning and a sense of urgency travellers expect from top hotels. The Adelphi looks impressive from outside and has a name many would recognise, it lives up to neither of these.