The National Hotel will postpone its 2020 season opening out of an abundance of caution.
General Manager Julie Fuller, who has worked at the hotel for the past 37 years, said, “Right now we’re pushing back everything. We’re taking this one day at a time trying to stay healthy. We can’t bring people here and don’t want to bring people to the island, so we’re making the right decision for the island and the hotel.” She said the planned opening for the hotel is May 15, but added that may change. The National’s Restaurant will open later, probably closer to Memorial Day. She said the chef was working on creating a smaller menu for when “we finally get the all clear,” said Fuller.
Fuller said the hotel employs about 100 people in the summer, some of whom are students from overseas. Fuller said that as of now there are no plans to cancel the J-1 student visa program, which brings hundreds of seasonal employees to the island, but Fuller did say there was a temporary 60-day hold on the program, according to the agency she works with.
The iconic National
