The Intourist was a monument to an older, bygone Moscow - one of suspicious looks from the staff, bugged rooms and illegal money changers in the lobby

The Intourist's Soviet-era standards have been unable to compete with the emergence of slick, western hotels over the last ten years.

It is hoped a smaller Hilton hotel will take its place.

Among the first fixtures to go was the Intourist's notoriously bad plumbing, followed by the doors that didn't shut properly and the lights that did not work.

Few tears

Erected in the 1970s to cater for foreign tourists with hard currency, the Intourist was a monument to an older, bygone Moscow - one of suspicious looks from the staff, bugged rooms and illegal money changers in the lobby.

It was the scene of Cold War spy novels and the place where westerners experienced the Soviet version of hospitality, surly waiters and cold food.

In the old days, there was nowhere else to stay. But since the fall of Communism, shiny western hotels have sprung up across Moscow and the Intourist has been unable to compete.

The hotel found its way into many tourist anecdotes

Its 22 storeys of concrete and glass are an eyesore that few Muscovites will mourn.

Instead, there are plans for a smaller, more modern five-star hotel to open on the site in a few years' time.

But the staff may lament the Intourist's passing as they must now find new jobs.

And the hotel will also be missed by budget travellers. Its shabby rooms were one of the few places here to get a cheap bed for the night.