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The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel of Philadelphia
A view of a stairwell in the former Secondary (Southern) Staircase of the Bellevue-Stratford showing the degradation in the forms of heavy water damage, broken walls, soiled and stained wrought-iron... Such disgrace to the name of architecture and artistic applied arts! Duck-tape on a curvature of a marble/granite stair base! This is appalling and deplorable and shows just detrimental the renovation work was! A badly treated marble marker where originally a San Domingo paneled fireplace and mantel stood in the State Library of the Hotel. It was torn from its moorings and has disappeared all together. The marker looks as if someone dropped something very heavy on the stone... Decaying/rotting wooden beams/paneling on the exterior of window from the First Foyer... What used to be a beautiful detail, baseboard of granite and a gilt-finish plaster-work pilaster decoration. Today it looks like someone literally threw a bucket of paint onto it and didn't bother to clean it up!!! BADLY treated original mosaic floor tiling, which extended out into the concierge and lobby as well as the corridors and staircases. This is deplorable for a 'four-star' Hotel!!! What originally was an open curvature of the western Promenade of 'The most lavish ballroom in the Nation!' falling apart, used as storage and closet space... A low column of marble-faced plaster original to the Hotel located in the current 'Hotel Lobby' Mezzanine floor... The plaster is showing right through a hole in the marble! How disgusting!!!

What used to be a beautiful detail, baseboard of granite and a gilt-finish plaster-work pilaster decoration. Today it looks like someone literally threw a bucket of paint onto it and didn't bother to clean it up!!!
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What used to be a beautiful detail, baseboard of granite and a gilt-finish plaster-work pilaster decoration. Today it looks like someone literally threw a bucket of paint onto it and didn't bother to clean it up!!!