John Burke, owner of the Armada Hotel at Spanish Point in Co Clare, climbed Mount Everest three years ago - but is now facing new challenges as Ireland heads into tougher restrictions.
He said that his family hotel will have to close down and most of his 90 staff members will have to be laid off as the country moves out of Level 3.
And Mr Burke, who is married to actress Aoibhin Garrihy, said the ongoing pandemic is taking a serious toll on the mental health of his staff and family.
Mr Burke told RTE Radio 1 with Claire Byrne said going beyond Level 3 means his hotel will have to close down.
He said: “At Level 4 and beyond our rooms are closing. Rooms are the bread and butter for any hotel and we can operate some element of takeaway but we’re not really operating as a hotel, nor are we able to sustain the jobs.
“Effectively, when the announcement comes, or when that kicks in, the hotel is going to have to close its doors.”
He said moving into Level 4 or 5 will mean it will be impossible to keep on his 90 staff members.
Mr Burke said: “I’ve spoken with a number of the team on the floor, to try and gage their mood and their sentiment about the whole thing.
“There has to be layoffs. The last time, without a doubt, those were the hardest discussions and moments that I’ve ever gone through in business, and that’s what we’re facing into again.
“It’s a highly emotional time dealing with that.
“These are 90 people who come from 90 households. Some of our employees are students and they’re as reliant on this sometimes as an earner within a household.
“So it’s a very emotional time for me and all the team here but we’re going to try to hope that we see an end in sight.”
Mr Burke said rural Ireland relies on tourism jobs and the country has to be able to function even as we continue to fight the coronavirus.
He said: “The impact of the mental health on the team and myself is huge, and to the community.
“Tourism is a huge provider of jobs within rural Ireland - seven out of ten jobs in rural Ireland are in the tourism sector.
“Our communities have to get back. While we know Covid-19 is on our doorstep, we still have to try to live with it.
“I hope this comes to an end and we can get people back to work.”
