A Jewish woman has called for a Norfolk hotel to apologise after being confronted with a Swastika in the room she was staying in.

Emily White, 33, was a guest at the four-star Plough Inn in Marsham, near Aylsham, earlier this month when she found the symbol on an antique wooden wall fixture in an en suite bathroom.

North Norfolk News: Emily White, who was shocked when she discovered a Swastika as a design feature when she stayed at the Plough Inn at Marsham.Emily White, who was shocked when she discovered a Swastika as a design feature when she stayed at the Plough Inn at Marsham. (Image: Supplied by Emily White)

Ms White, who lives in London and was visiting Norfolk with friends for a wedding, said: "We went upstairs, put our bags down, got ready in a rush and then went to the wedding. When we came back that evening, that's when we noticed it.

"I took a picture and sent it to friends and family, and everyone said the same thing - it's the other way around so it is the old, south Asian religious symbol, but it feels like a weird, unnecessary choice."

North Norfolk News: The wooden bathroom fixture at the Plough Inn at Marsham, Norfolk, which includes a Swastika.The wooden bathroom fixture at the Plough Inn at Marsham, Norfolk, which includes a Swastika. (Image: Supplied by Emily White)

Long before the Swastika was appropriated by the Nazis, the symbol had a history dating back thousands of years.

It has been widely used in south Asian regions including Hinduism, Jainism and Sri Lankan Buddhism and often signifies spirituality or good luck.

But Ms White said the hotel did not otherwise have a south Asian theme, and anyone staying there would likely not associate it with that meaning.

North Norfolk News: Emily White discovered a Swastika as a design feature when she stayed at the Plough Inn at Marsham.Emily White discovered a Swastika as a design feature when she stayed at the Plough Inn at Marsham. (Image: Supplied by Emily White)

She said: "I felt it was so unnecessary, so the next morning we told them that this could be offensive.

"We spoke to three staff members and they said they knew it was there, but it was not meant to be offensive, it was just the owner's quirky design choice."

Unsatisfied, Ms White then contacted Booking.com, the site she used to book the hotel rooms.

But after their own email exchange with the hotel, the firm repeated the line that the Swastika in the antique was Indian and not associated with the Nazis.

North Norfolk News: Emily White, who was shocked when she discovered a Swastika as a design feature when she stayed at the Plough Inn at Marsham.Emily White, who was shocked when she discovered a Swastika as a design feature when she stayed at the Plough Inn at Marsham. (Image: Supplied by Emily White)

She said: "They denied it was offensive.

"I looked into the antique, and it is an old, Indian brick mould. But does it have a place in a public-facing hotel? To me, it's not anyone's fault that the Nazis took over the symbol but context matters.

"There's no context for that existing in a hotel room in England in 2022."

Ms White said she had not requested a refund, but said an apology from the hotel would be appropriate.

She said: "There seemed to be no accountability that it could have been interpreted as offensive."

Plough Inn has not responded to requests for comment, but a spokesperson from Booking.com said: "Having conducted a thorough investigation, we understand that the symbol displayed in this property is associated with Indian culture.

"However, we do appreciate that this could have been misinterpreted and have apologised for any distress to the affected customer."