Hotel bars will now also have to close at midnight, following Government accouncement

A last minute change to the new Covid restrictions has taken the hotel industry by surprise.

Up until now, hoteliers havd been working off the basis that people would be permitted to stay in hotel bars and resident lounges past midnight, provided that they were residents at the hotel. According to RTÉ, the Irish Hotels Federation says the Government has now confirmed the new closing time restriction applies to hotel bars and all events being hosted, including weddings, whether guests are residents or not. In a statement shared by RTÉ, the Irish Hotels Federation said:

 Due to the current prevalence of the coronavirus in the community, we are hearing from our members that businesses are adopting a cautious approach in relation to hosting business events and meetings.

The new closing time will come into effect for hotels across the country from midnight tonight, as is the same for pubs, nightclubs and restaurants. Stephen O'Connor, the general manager of the Strand Hotel in Limerick told Virgin Media News:

What's disappointing about this is a lot of weddings would have been planned months in advance... and been postponed from last year, from earlier this year to the next few months. So to get this late notice again is very disappointing... and it's disappointing because we've proven we're safe environments for people to socialise in. 

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