A NORTH-EAST hotel which has been beset with problems during its construction will finally open tomorrow - ten months behind schedule.

The £30m Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, on Gateshead's quayside, is expected to attract millions of pounds to the region's economy.

The project at Bottle Bank has been blighted since it was first announced almost three years ago. At one point, developers found no less than 1,400 faults in the building.

About 200 people will be employed at the 254-room four-star hotel. A company spokes-man said: "Hilton is pleased to be opening the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead on Tuesday.

"The hotel will bring business and leisure guests to this increasingly vibrant area from all over the world and Hilton is looking forward to providing its much-needed, awarding-winning facilities to these guests and the local community for many years to come."

The building of the Hilton is one of the key developments in the regeneration of Gates-head's riverside, which includes the Baltic arts centre

As recently as October, an adjudicator was called in to settle a dispute between builder Balfour Beatty and developer Collingwood, when Collingwood claimed 1,400 faults still needed resolving.

Collingwood insisted that the problems were all solved before the building was handed over to the Hilton.