The chief executive of the Palace Hotel has strongly denied claims circulating on social media that the Douglas hotel is accommodating illegal immigrants, describing the allegations as 'complete and utter fiction'.

Brett Martin, chief executive of Palace Group, has spoken to Isle of Man Today after a proposed anti-immigration protest was widely advertised online, with organisers calling for demonstrators to assemble outside the promenade hotel next Saturday (November 21).

A post shared on social media called for people to gather at the Palace before marching through the town, to the Sea Terminal and then to the House of Keys.

But Mr Martin said the claims behind the planned demonstration and the hotel was housing illegal immigrants were entirely false and warned that the protest could disrupt a first birthday party being held at the hotel on the same day.

Speaking to Isle of Man’s Today reporter Tom Curphey, he said: ‘It's a complete and utter fiction.

‘You've walked the hotel this morning. You've been right through the accommodation block. You've seen the breakfast room and all the other main areas.

‘It's awfully hard to prove a negative, but the story is a complete and utter fiction.’

Mr Martin said the hotel had now been left facing the prospect of a demonstration outside its premises over something he insisted was simply not happening.

He added: ‘We've got a small infant's party, a first birthday party in the hotel. We'll have mums with prams and dads coming, and they're going to have these people potentially with placards outside the hotel, reporting on something which is complete nonsense.’

The rumours are not the first of their kind to circulate on the island.

The Government explained that the Isle of Man has its own Immigration Rules but, because of its relationship with the UK, cannot process asylum applications or house people in the UK awaiting decisions on their refugee status.

It also confirmed that at that time, the UK contracting firm had made at least one approach enquiring about the availability of accommodation for such purposes, but had been informed of the island's position and told to remove the Isle of Man from its contact lists.

Mr Martin said he did not know where the latest rumours had originated, but believed they could be a continuation of similar claims which had circulated previously.

He said the allegations could be damaging the hotel's reputation, adding that it was difficult to establish whether they had already affected bookings.

‘It can't have a good impact, let's put it that way,’ he said.

‘They're sort of painting us in the same way as maybe some of the UK hotels as effectively being a refugee hotel, and it's simply not true.

‘We serve the local people on the island, and we serve visitors to the island. We always have, and always will.’

The Best Western Palace Hotel and Casino is a major hospitality venue in Douglas, incorporating a hotel with more than 100 bedrooms, Looky's Bar, a casino and leisure facilities.

Mr Martin had a blunt message for those considering attending the demonstration.

‘Personally, I'd say don't waste your time promoting something that doesn't exist. It's a waste of a Saturday morning, quite frankly,’ he said.