Welbeck Hotel in Douglas to close after 48 years under the George family

The Welbeck Hotel and Restaurant in Douglas is to shut for good next month, ending 48 years in the hands of the family that opened it, its owners have announced.

In a statement on Facebook on Sunday, the George family said the business would stop trading on Monday 23 November. The family has owned and run the hotel since 1978. According to Isle of Man Today, the last overnight guests will stay on the night of Sunday 22 November.

The family said the decision was driven by family health circumstances together with an increasingly challenging business climate. Manx Radio reported that they called it an “incredibly difficult and emotional decision”.

Attempts to sell the business had not succeeded, the family said. “Despite our continued efforts to secure a buyer, we have reached a point where continuing to operate the business is no longer sustainable,” the statement said, as reported by Manx Radio.

Bookings up to the closing date would be honoured, the family said. Anyone booked to stay after that date will be contacted directly and will get any deposit back in full.

The family has asked customers with vouchers to redeem them before the hotel closes. Energy FM reported that vouchers must be used within the next month.

Employees have been informed, and the family said it is consulting staff about possible redundancies. It thanked them for their “cooperation, professionalism and continued support” at what it described as an unsettling time. The statement did not say how many people the hotel employs.

Suppliers have been assured that every outstanding bill will be paid in full before the business is wound up, the family said.

The Welbeck is still for sale, and the family said it hoped a new owner would take on the building and keep it going. Energy FM reported an asking price of £995,000.

In its statement the family paid tribute to its staff, customers and suppliers, and to the wider Manx community, for their loyalty over almost five decades. “It has been more than just a business to our family,” the statement said.