'Our immediate priority was the safety and welfare of guests and staff"

The Sheraton Athlone Hotel has issued a statement following a flooding incident last night, which resulted in a number of guests being relocated.

Managing Director Garrett McGuinness told the Westmeath Independent: "A significant water leak occurred in the tower section of the Sheraton Athlone Hotel, following the failure of a joint on a pipe."

He said the hotel's immediate priority was "the safety and welfare of our guests and staff and affected guests were assisted and relocated as necessary".

"We are extremely grateful to our guests for their patience, understanding and co-operation. We would also like to thank our hotel team, the Athlone Towncentre team, Athlone Fire Service and everyone who came to assist."

He said the team at the hotel was "continuing to assess the impact of the incident."

The hotel currently remains open, with limited guest capacity.