An Chuirt Hotel.
ONE of Donegal’s best known hotels will remain closed until early 2021 as the damaging effect of the Covid-19 epidemic impacts the local tourism industry.
The four star An Chúirt, Gweedore Court Hotel and Earagail Health Club, will not reopen for business next week as part of the Covid-19 route map to recovery.
An Chúirt’s owners, the Doherty family, confirmed this week they were consulting with up to one hundred staff at the hotel.
Located on the site of a former guest house where Charles Dickens once stayed, local property developer, Patrick J Doherty, built the 63-bedroom hotel in 2001 and his daughter Patricia continues to work there today.
Speaking to the Donegal News yesterday Patricia Doherty cited the pandemic as being the main reason why the hotel will remain shuttered until early 2021.
“It’s heartbreaking. We were expecting a good season up until Covid. All our weddings planned for this year have been cancelled while all tours have been cancelled too. The weddings have all been rescheduled for next year which is good news.
“We’re already half way through the summer season and we feel that this is the right decision to make. At its peak we would employ about one hundred people in the summer,” she said.
An Chúirt reopened last year after closing during the winter months to complete several maintenance projects, which included a revamp of the leisure centre, at a total cost of €150,000.
With an ESB bill of €12,000 per month, plus substantial other bills and annual rate charges, Ms Doherty admitted that it’s been a ‘struggle’ to keep the doors open fifty-two weeks a year.
“We always close for January but over the past few years we’ve noticed a big decline in trade from November to March. Ultimately, it’s a seasonable business and we have to cut our cloth accordingly.
“We’re looking forward to reopening our doors next March and, hopefully, we can all enjoy a successful summer,” Ms Doherty said.
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