An area inside the five-star hotel Ballyfin Demesne A hotel in Co Laois has been closed as a crime scene after a man died there in violent circumstances on Tuesday night, shortly after arriving from the United States.

Although an autopsy on the victim’s remains was awaited to confirm the direction of the ongoing criminal investigation, all the resources of a homicide investigation were devoted to the case.

The victim of Tuesday night’s fatal attack is in his 60s and was a guest at the hotel, where he was found injured and unresponsive in one of the common areas.

A man arrested by police for questioning after the apparent fatal attack is in his 30s. The Irish Times understands the victim and the man arrested were acquaintances.

The arrested man, who was described as having “vulnerabilities”, was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at a Garda station in the east of the country. This allows police to interview the man for up to 24 hours without charge, at which point he must be charged with the crime or released without charge.

“Gardaí are investigating all the circumstances surrounding the death,” a Garda statement said. The Garda Technical Bureau and the Office of the State Pathologist have been contacted to attend the scene, which is understood to be a bathroom or changing area at a shared facility within the hotel premises.

Gardaí said a senior investigating officer had been appointed to lead the investigation and an incident room had been set up at Portlaoise Garda Station. A family liaison officer has been appointed to support the family of the deceased.

Ballyfin Demesne – where a night’s stay costs between €600 and €2,500 – is set at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains in more than 600 acres of parkland.

It has hosted many celebrities since opening in 2011, including George Clooney and his wife Amal, as well as Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, who honeymooned there.