
Dozens of outraged tourists have slammed North Korea's only six-star hotel for its 'prison-like' conditions, online.

The Ryanggang Hotel in Pyongyang - which is described by locals as a 'first class' establishment - has received 31 reviews on TripAdvisor, with the majority of tourists giving it a big thumbs down.

But for tourists seeking an alternative luxury accommodation, the capital's other premier hotel, Kim Jong Un's swanky 1,082ft-high Ryugyong Hotel, remains unopened, 29 years after the project began.

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Un-der fire: The Ryugyong Hotel, a 'six star' effort in North Korea, is making waves for its 'prison-like' conditions with dozens of guests taking to TripAdvisor to slam it

Un-derlit: The Ryanggang Hotel in Pyongyang - which is described by locals as a 'first class' establishment - has received 31 reviews on Trip Advisor, most of which give it the thumbs down

Simon Ryder from Wirral, Merseyside, who booked a room at Ryanggang Hotel in May 2012, wrote: 'The beds are so hard I think the floor was more comfortable... I flushed the toilet and my feet got a wash.'

Another guest from Cape Town, South Africa, echoed Mr Ryder's sentiments, writing: 'Classic Soviet style hotel. Dismal, poorly lit, rock hard beds, miserable food, and intermittent hot water - and these are the good points!'

However, looking on the bright side, the traveller concluded that the hotel stay was all part of the 'North Korean experience'.

David Templeman from Estonia merely described the Ryanggang as 'old and cold'.

Talking about the electrics, he wrote: 'The electric wiring is in a really poor state. Half of power sockets are broken, and there's bare (and possibly live) wires coming out of the floor and just end abruptly.'

Shocking: One guest wasn't impressed with the bathroom or bed at the Ryanggang Hotel in Pyongyang

Dirty, cold and hideous: A visitor said 'western prisons are more welcoming' than the luxury establishment

Un-impressed: There is no word on how much rooms at the Ryanggang Hotel go for and there is no website for the business;

He continued, with a touch of humour: 'But on the plus side, there was a huge flat-screen TV with one channel: the North Korean propaganda channel, where the female narrator tries her best to sound upbeat while clips of Kim Jong Un and some fields and buildings show.'

There is no word on how much rooms at the Ryanggang Hotel go for and there is no website for the business.

Many guests said they booked while being led around the city on a tour.

Overall the Ryanggang emerges with a rating of 2.5 out of five on TripAdvisor, with the majority of reviewers marking it 'average' or 'poor'.

Un-helpful: A photo of the dining area shows dozens of empty tables; it is unclear what view the hotel offers however

A bad night's sleep: Lots of reviews complained about the hard beds; Overall the Ryanggang emerges with a rating of 2.5 out of five, with the majority of reviewers marking it 'average' or 'poor'

Happy meal? Many guests weren't impressed with the food offerings, here appears to be an effort at French Toast, and something undistinguishable

In North Korea it appears that luxury hotels are lacking.

For years, visitors have been anticipating the opening of Kim Jong-un's swanky 1,082ft-high Ryugyong Hotel.

However, the pyramid-like glass and steel building which has apparently cost more than $750millon (£565million) to construct, remains unopened.

Work actually began in 1987 under the regime of Kim Jong-un’s grandfather, Kim Il-sung, and was meant to open two years later as a calculated snub to neighbouring South Korea.

As Seoul hosted the 1988 Olympics, North Korea would open what would then have been the world’s tallest hotel.

One man said: 'I flushed the toilet and my feet got a wash'; work actually began in 1987 under the regime of Kim Jong-un’s grandfather, Kim Il-sung, and was meant to open two years later as a calculated snub to neighbouring South Korea

Un-flattering light: Many photos of the Ryanggang Hotel left by guests paint the picture of a drab, soulless place

The structure of the mighty pyramid was quickly completed, but work came to a shuddering halt in 1992 after the collapse of Pyongyang’s benefactor, the Soviet Union.

It was an economic disaster for North Korea and provoked a devastating famine that killed up to 3.5million people.

So what was supposed to have been a towering symbol of the country’s technical mastery instead became an idle landmark which has attracted international ridicule.

An inspection by a European delegation in the Nineties concluded that the shell was irreparable and it should be torn down because of its poor-quality concrete and crooked elevator shafts.

For years, visitors have been anticipating the opening of Kim Jong-un's swanky 1,082ft-high Ryugyong Hotel

Hotel of Doom: However, the pyramid-like glass and steel building which has apparently cost more than $750million to construct, remains unopened

Esquire magazine described it as ‘the worst building in the history of mankind’. Others labelled it the Hotel of Doom. The name has stuck.

In 2008, after 16 years of inactivity and to the astonishment of Western observers, work suddenly resumed.

Then in 2011 its concrete was strengthened and its exterior coated in £111million worth of glass, which dazzles when it catches the sun.

Its fortunes were further revived by the deep-pocketed Egyptian Orascom Group which took over as developer in 2008 after reportedly signing a $400 million deal to establish a mobile phone network in North Korea.