Hurricane Sandy Special Canceled; Fall Harvest Special Canceled

Editors Note: Madison Beach Hotel says "On the advice of the Madison Emergency Management team, we will be closing the hotel at 4pm this afternoon.  The Fall Harvest Festival has been canceled."

Original story:

Madison Beach Hotel is having a Hurricane Sandy special Sunday night. Instead of the usual $229 rate, the hotel,will be charging $149 and offering 15 percent off at their restaurant, The Wharf.

"Join us as we batten down the hatch, cozy up to the fireplace, and nosh on some delicious New England fare," says a Madison Beach Hotel post on Facebook.

The hotel, with its location right on Long Island Sound, is essentially a front row seat onto whatever drama Hurricane Sandy will bring with it. Forecasters have said it may be a catastrophic storm, but it's unclear at this point exactly how it will affect Madison and the surrounding shoreline. Madison town officials have declared a civil preparedness state of emergency as of Monday at noon in anticipation fo the storm, which they say could hit late Monday into early Tuesday of next week.

"Madison Beach Hotel is built to code, it has hurricane safe glass, and it has a generator," Mathers said Friday afternoon.

Mathers said the rate at this point is good for Sunday only. And he emphasized that the hotel, of course, will heed any evacuation orders and will take whatever measures necessary recommended by town officials, and common sense. The worst of the storm is expected to hit late Monday into early Tuesday. A state of emergency was declared Friday by town officials, to take effect Monday at noon.

"Our dinner and rooms specials are being offered only if the hotel is under normal operations.  If we feel our staff or guests are in harm’s way, we will not remain open, nor will we promote our facility as a place of refuge," Mathers said. "I am staying in close contact with [Madison Director of Emergency Services ] John Bowers and the Madison Emergency Management Team and we will heed their advice on evacuation.  We are taking this event very seriously."

Editor's Note: This story was updated Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012 to reflect the state of emergency declared by the town, effective Monday at noon, and to accurately reflect the hotel's willingness to work with town officials as more information about the storm becomes available.