An Isle of Wight hotel branded a "flophouse" and accused of poor standards by comedian Jenny Eclair, during her gig at Shanklin Theatre on Saturday night, says its staff offered the celebrity a different room and even rang other hotels, with an aim to make an alternative booking.

In a exclusive statement to the County Press, Shanklin's Melbourne Ardenlea said the star was "negative" during her stay, which was for the Island leg of her Jenny Eclair: Sixty! (FFS!) tour.

Scroll down for the hotel's statement in full...

It said: "The staff found Jenny to be rude and condescending - probably due to the team not knowing who she was."

It apologised for her experience and said if she had directly complained to staff, they could had addressed her concerns.

Isle of Wight County Press:

The owner of the Queen's Road hotel told the County Press: "She chose to book through a contractor’s agent that uses the hotel for working contractors on the Island, at a low rate of £50 per room.

"The hotel staff were not aware of who the booking was for - just that it was two rooms.

"The staff booked ground floor rooms, favoured by the contractors who book regularly.

"Had reception been aware, they would have easily moved her in the hotel."

The statement said: "Later, Jenny's interaction was very negative, refusing to use the facilities. On hearing her comments, the receptionist rang round a few other neighbouring hotels and offered her options to move to another hotel, which she declined.

"Jenny never came to complain at reception about her room. Her agent/manager was satisfied with the hotel.

"Recent positive reviews have praised the staff and the hotel, which employs local people...who are proud of what they have achieved.

"Jenny chose to share, on social media, an old article that was published prior to the hotel reopening - and not reflecting a balanced response from the owners."

The comedian shared a County Press story from July, about the sudden closure of the hotel.

A note had been posted on its front door, blaming 'unexpected maintenance' and advising guests arriving to: "Contact your booking agent who will assist you in relocating."

Isle of Wight County Press:

The Isle of Wight Council later revealed an inspection had been carried out by its Regulatory Services team, accompanied by officers from Hampshire Constabulary, after a prohibition notice was served under The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Fears over the safety of the hotel's gas and electric had triggered the inspection.

In an exclusive statement to the County Press, issued in July, the hotel said it would appeal and said the notices were "groundless".

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The hotel has since reopened to guests.

Responding to Ms Eclair's claims, its owner told the County Press: "The hotel never has advertised that it is The Ritz and prices the rooms at affordable rates that reflect current standards (hence the rate Jenny paid).

"The hotel, since all the articles going back to July, has invested thousands of pounds in ensuring all safety requirements are met. Prohibition notices were all lifted before it opened.

"Substantial investment [has been made] into refurbishing: Carpeting the hotel, as well as new beds, boilers and other important plant and equipment.

"The season was short."

The statement also blamed a delay in the lifting of a prohibition closure notice.

It said staff absence in the third party offices dealing with the matter meant a "considerable loss of income that was planned for further investment and refurbishment."

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The owner's statement continued: "We can only apologise unreservedly for her experiences and only wished she had informed us of her dissatisfaction so we could have addressed these points.

"She decided to depart the following day at 11am."