One of the island’s leading hotels has stopped taking in key workers and people isolating on health and safety reasons.

Management at the 104-room Empress, which includes 27 sea view rooms, took the decision after reviewing its policy before the circuit breaker lockdown.

More than 20 key workers from across had stayed at the hotel since it re-opened after the first lockdown ended in the island last summer.

David Mason, general manager of the hotel on Central Promenade, Douglas, confirmed to the Manx Independent: ’We have stopped taking key workers in.

’We just decided that we were not going to continue taking in key workers and people isolating because we did not really want to have to run the possibility of any risk when there were guests staying here on staycations and events were taking place.’

He added that the decision was made last month at a time when the hotel was busy with local people staying, festive parties were taking place and it did not seem to fit in having key workers and people isolating in their rooms at the same time.

Mr Mason had previously lifted the lid on the ’strict protocols’ he had in place for key workers who stayed there.

He told Isle of Man Newspapers that failure to adhere to the rules ’in any degree’ would have resulted in them being reported to the authorities ’which can lead to a court fine or, in some cases a term of imprisonment’.

During the current ’circuit breaker’ the hotel has been closed.

But Mr Mason pointed out that once the lockdown has ended, the hotel will re-open but only on Fridays and Saturdays for the time being.

He believes at the moment that ’it’s just not worth being open every day of the week’.

He said that if the restrictions are lifted this weekend they will plan to open on Friday, February 5, for staycations.

Mr Mason said ’After the government announced that restrictions might be lifted soon the phones started ringing again with inquiries about bookings.’

And he confirmed they are continuing to get inquiries from people across in the UK for dates from May onwards.

But he said: ’Obviously a lot depends of course on the borders and that is not looking promising at the moment.’

One thing Mr Mason is looking forward to is ensuring the hotel’s famous piano in the lounge area will be entertaining people again on Saturday nights.

And he he has a pianist lined up to play popular medleys once more.

Mr Mason, originally from Belfast, has been at the Empress for around 18 years.

He said the hotel holds a special place in his heart.

He said: ’This place is so much more than a place of work.’ Staff have been helping out with odd jobs.