Sandpiper Motel closes for 2020 summer season in response to COVID-19 pandemic

NORTH WILDWOOD - We're officially one month away from Memorial Day, which is the "unofficial" start to summer for the shore. However, it may not be the start of anything if stay-at-home and social distancing orders stay in place. One North Wildwood motel isn't taking any chances. They decided to hang up the 2020 season for good.

The no vacancy lights are clear on the Sandpiper Motel sign in North Wildwood, the parking lot empty, the doors locked. it's not an unusual sight for a seasonal business still one month out from Memorial Day, but the owners say this look will not change until 2021.

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"This was a really hard decision. We love our business we love our guests. I know I've let a lot of people down, but it was hard, it was hard," Kathy Crane told FOX 29.

Co-owner of the family business, Crane said they made the difficult announcement on Facebook Friday Almost two months after posting a picture of the Crane's daughter cleaning with the caption, "The rooms will be sparking clean and waiting for our guests to check-in!"

She says they got phone calls from their customers asking about their plan and they wanted them to get their refunds and have time to prepare.

"I need to sleep at night and I can't take a chance of having my employees get sick or my guests get sick it wasn't worth it for us," she added. 

Wildwood's Mayor Pete Byron, who is in close contact daily with North Wildwood's mayor, says they are not telling businesses to hang up for the summer. Last week, they announced people can visit the boardwalk but only for takeout food.

"I would say probably, hopefully by sometime in June, we would have some sort of opening of some kind but that's pure speculation," he said.

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