Inside the stunning hotel where the Strictly professionals will quarantine together for 14 days

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Strictly Come Dancing is gearing up for a brand new series later this year, but ahead of the launch, the professional dancers have been forced to quarantine together for 14 days.

In a bid to adhere to social distancing guidelines, dancers including Oti Mabuse, Neil Jones and estranged wife Katya Jones will be holed up in a luxury hotel near to the show’s Elstree studios and will all form one household so they can rehearse. 

And it seems the professionals are set to be living in style for the next fortnight as they stay at The Manor Hotel, a stunning four star historic bode in the Hertfordshire countryside which features elegant beams, 10 acres of gardens and a pop-up Shisha bar.

The beautiful hotel sits on a site which dates back to 1540 and is steeped in history with original features throughout.

With 49 rooms in total and 10 acres of gardens, there will be plenty of room for the dancers to roam about, with the hotel’s website indicating that the entire place has been exclusively hired out by the Strictly team.

A statement reads: ‘The hotel will be closed for an exclusive booking from Monday, August 24 until Sunday, September, 20, 2020. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

‘We reopen on Monday 21st September and look forward to welcoming you back.’ 

Describing themselves as a ‘luxury treat’, The Manor hotel boasts a Terrace bar, a state of the art gym and second floor rooms which sees ‘panoramic views’ of the London skyline.

And the Strictly stars will certainly be living in luxury, with the tastefully decorated bedrooms featuring rustic wooden beams and stylish furnishings. 

They are said to be rehearsing for the show in the hotel’s expansive marquee, usually used for weddings.

Following their 14 days quarantine together, the professionals will then be able to head to the studios, where they will pre-record all of their group dances for the shortened series.

After a day of dancing, they’ll no doubt savour a chance to unwind at the hotel’s pop-up Shisha bar The Amirah Lounge, where they can relax with a drink or two amid the ‘beautiful woodland gardens’. 

Room rates in the hotel can vary depending on the style of the room or package chosen, with a luxury stay including breakfast, three-course dinner and a bottle of house wine costing up to £334 per night. 

And they are in good company at the accommodation, with The Manor previously welcoming celebrity guests including Tom Cruise, John Cleese and Peter Sellers. 

MailOnline has reached out to Strictly representatives for comment. 

Earlier this week, the professional dancers were spotted arriving at the hotel where they will reportedly isolate for a fortnight to learn group routines amid pandemic. 

As the professional dancers arrived at their hotel, BBC director of content Charlotte Moore spoke at the Edinburgh TV Festival.

She confirmed that Strictly was ‘absolutely coming back’ and the celebrity line-up will be be confirmed at the end of the month. 

Charlotte added that it will be a ‘special series’ this year with a shorter run, and that due to the current circumstances ‘the dances will have real poignancy.’ 

Strictly Come Dancing told MailOnline: ‘As we continue to follow the latest guidance from Public Health England and industry guidelines, we are considering isolating the dancers and key production members to enable our much-loved group numbers to continue. 

‘We’re incredibly proud of our professional dancers for their dedication to the show and their commitment to showcasing their love of dance to the nation.

‘The safety of our cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us and further updates will be made in due course.’ 

This year’s Strictly is set to start in October instead of the usual start in early September and will be several weeks shorter than normal. 

Earlier this month it was reported that show executives are ‘devising 100 different formats’ to align with current guidelines as filming prepares to take place in Elstree Studios for a start date of October 24.

The restrictions include putting a limit on the amount of people allowed on set, as well as excluding ‘chemistry circles’ in auditions, which sees contestants alternate in ‘sexy’ dances with professionals so producers can decide ‘who look good together’.

A BBC source told The Sun: ‘Preparing for this year’s show is a huge headache. The goalposts keep moving, so the big decisions are being left to the last minute so we’re as up to date as possible.  

‘But any concrete things we can decide on now, we are doing. Making one hit series is hard enough. As things stand, we are having to plan for hundreds. 

‘The slightest change to the rules could have a massive impact on how the show is filmed. Many [celebs] are weighing up their options, so Strictly still doesn’t have a full line-up.’ 

The insider claimed the competition will be held in a near-empty, no-audience studio with a scaled-back crew consisting of only 25 per cent of the usual team for the first time in the show’s 16-year history.

Another aspect of the series that is believed to have changed is the partnering process, which could be decided on height alone as opposed to the celebs performing salsa dances in a circle with all ballroom experts. 

It’s also been reported that BBC bosses have scrapped plans for celebrities and professional dancers to isolate together. 

In a last minute change of plan, the couples will instead be in a ‘bubble’ system and there will be regular testing ahead of the live shows, The Sun reports.

However, the dancers are still said to be isolating together this month so that they can pre-record group routines. 

A TV source told the publication: ‘The idea of holing sexy dancers up with celebrities made it impossible to sign anybody up.’