Simon Coveney's brother ran five-star Moscow hotel from Ireland following Ukraine invasion

Tony Coveney had only been appointed as general manager of the five-star Moscow hotel in October after running the Ritz-Carlton in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, for almost two-and-a-half years.

Marriott International, which owns the Ritz-Carlton, last week announced it was suspending all operations in Russia.

"We have come to the view that US, UK and EU restrictions will make it impossible for Marriott to continue to operate or franchise hotels in the Russian market," the group said yesterday. "We have therefore made the decision to suspend all Marriott International operations in Russia.

"The process to suspend operations in a market where Marriott has operated for 25 years is complex."

The Ritz-Carlton on Tverskaya Street overlooking the Kremlin and Red Square is regarded as Moscow's most prestigious hotel.

It is understood Tony Coveney had relocated to Ireland and was managing the hotel remotely from here.

A spokeswoman for Marriott International said all of the group's expats in Russia were given the option to leave at the start of the conflict.

"We removed all our expat general managers soon after the war started," she told the Herald.

Tony Coveney is former general manager at the Blarney Golf Resort in his native Co Cork.

He previously spent more than 12 years at the Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts group, including stints as hotel manager in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and Athens in Greece.