The owner of a hotel and restaurant in County Louth has said his policy of refusing people from Dublin and Donegal is there to protect his customers.

McKevitts Village Hotel in Carlingford received a one-star review on Tripadvisor this week after it refused a couple service because they were from Dublin.

The couple’s child labelled the hotel a “den of ignorance” and said they will make certain that no-one they know will visit the business when the COVID crisis is over.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, hotel owner Terry McKevitt  said the policy is not anti-Dublin.

“It is not just Dublin as such,” he said. “We looked at Donegal too. We decided that to protect our loyal customers and staff, it would be better if we refused service of those areas.

“Our way of looking at it is, we are a tourist destination and these people shouldn’t really be in the area.”

He said he stands by the decision and if people don’t want to provide their address to staff, they don’t have to come in.

“It is very annoying as an owner of a business that is trying to do our best in these difficult times to get a one-star review – especially when they didn’t even get to experience any of the services in the building,” he said.

“Nobody likes to be refused service, it doesn’t matter where you are, so you can see why people might be annoyed.”

McKevitts Village Hotel in Carlingford, County Louth. Image: McKevitts.ie

In a Facebook post, the hotel said the review was “very unfair.”

“We made the decision as a business to not accept guests from any county affected by government restrictions as a protective measure for all,” it said.

“We do not apologise for protecting our customers both old and new in these trying times and certainly do not apologise for making every attempt to ensure the safety of our hardworking staff.

“We encourage all potential customers to listen to government guidelines and recommendations and we will continue to provide a safe environment for all permitted customers.”

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