What an unbelievable night! We had our official, unofficial, quiet (yet loud according to our local Frenchtown friends) opening tonight. And boy did our staff "run" to make everything work!

Wow. We are just finishing up and are just so exhilarated, so fantastically overjoyed by the warmth, the encouraging words, the "I'll back for sure" statements, that we just can't wait until tomorrow. And, our place was PACKED! From top to bottom--from just checking-in a guest into

our guest suites--we have been blessed with meeting new people, old friends, future contacts, and a brand new circle of acquaintances.

My biggest accomplishment: Seeing that our clients enjoyed the upstairs Restaurant and Bar, and the downstairs Rathskeller Pub. You have no idea how much it means to us to know that our establishment is a place that can make you feel welcome, at ease, comfortable, and yet catered to, whether you are enjoying a beer at "The Rat" while watching a game on the flat screen TV, or enjoying the quieter ambiance of the main floor Bar.

We had guests upstairs, then taking their drink downstairs to chat with some friends, and then back again to continue their conversation with other guests. OK, here goes my favorite word for 2009: AMAZING. We asked everyone who joined us tonight to be absolutely brutally honest about any glitches they may have seen, any items that weren't "quite right," and without exception, we apparently hit the mark. We are so happy that our friends, neighbors, friends-to-be, have come out to support our establishment and to make The National Hotel their new hang-out.

You should have been at The Rat! It was literally a kissing-fest down at The Rat, with one guest seeing another friend or neighbor and reaching out to him/her to give a big hug and a welcome cheer. What a night.

Let's have more. If you joined us tonight and would like to share your comments of the night, please do so and post your feedback. We are so happy to be a part of the Frenchtown community.

See you tomorrow!