It’s been one week since the Northport Hotel began accepting reservations for stays beginning in August and already, there’s a 150-person-long wait list for accommodations in… July.

That’s right, as the hotel’s guest rooms fill up for stays in August, during Cow Harbor weekend and over the holiday season, an even more immediate need is surfacing: to be one of the first people to experience the luxury boutique hotel and restaurant.

“It’s very exciting to set sail,” said Kevin O’Neill, who owns the hotel with his partner Richard Dolce (the two also own the John W. Engeman Theater across the street). In a conversation with the Journal yesterday, O’Neill commended his team for handling opening week so well, keeping everything from phone to online reservations coordinated and running smoothly.

By Memorial Day weekend, he’ll have a better idea when the hotel and restaurant’s grand opening will be, O’Neill said, and “once we get that degree of confidence that we won’t miss a date,” his team will start backfilling the requests for stays in July.

So far, hotel clientele is a mix of locals and tourists, theater patrons and travelers looking to visit family. O’Neill hopes the Northport Hotel becomes a haven for sailors, people looking to escape the city, and Long Island residents craving a special night out.

“I just think the ambiance and charm in Northport has been undervalued,” he said. “People, now that they will have a place to stay, will have a little better reason to appreciate the beauty of Northport.” He mentioned an Engeman season ticket holder, from Queens, who booked a room to coincide with the six theater visits he’ll be making to Northport this coming year.

“Fifteen years ago, when we set out with the theater, the goal was to become a regional theater – a place people would travel a good distance to see a show,” O’Neill said. “But what’s been missing is this ability to stay somewhere; there was no lodging. Now that we have the lodging, that completes the loop for us.”

With this opportunity at the hotel, O’Neill said, people will stay a while, support other businesses and shop around for a day or two – a truly mutual relationship all of Main Street can benefit from, year-round.

“There are all different kinds of reasons [to visit the hotel],” he said. “What’s the common denominator? The common denominator is the beauty of Northport Village.”

The Northport Hotel is offering a special advance purchase rate to guests who reserve their future stay by May 31. Visit www.thenorthporthotel.com for more information on rates, availability and that July wait list.