For Immediate Release

April 29, 2010

Contact: Mike Finney

Phone: 480-897-3331

mike@azcomgroup.com

New Hopi Hotel Opens

Upper Village of Moenkopi, Az. - The Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites, the first hotel to be built on Hopi tribal land in 50 years, was officially dedicated on April 27th, 2010. Hopi Tribal Chairman LeRoy Shingoitewa, Arizona Department of Commerce representative Thomas Doyle, and the Upper Village of Moenkopi Governor Williams Charley joined the Moenkopi Development Corporation Board of Directors in a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony attended by hundreds of people from the Hopi Villages and the neighboring Navajo community of Tuba City.

Developed by the Upper Village of Moenkopi, the hotel is the most substantial endeavor ever undertaken as a commercial enterprise by any Hopi village. Jobs were created during the development stages that provided local employment and the full development, including the adjoining Travel Center, provides employment for over 80 full and part time employees. The hotel will attract visitors to the Hopi Villages and artists and shops, in other villages are already reporting an increase in commerce because of the exposure gained on the hotel website www.ExperienceHopi.com

A special celebration was held at the hotel on April 25 when over 200 residents of the Upper Village of Moenkopi and invited guests filled all 100 guestrooms and suites and had an inaugural banquet in the hotel conference center. The new hotel features 100 guestrooms including 16 custom designed suites, a salt water swimming pool and whirlpool, a conference center, and an outdoor performance plaza.

The Elders of the Upper Village of Moenkopi envisioned that their village should be a place of welcome and gathering for visitors to Hopi tribal land and they inspired the new hotel. The hotel’s décor reflects this vision and everything from the carpets, bedding, artwork, and architecture emphasizes Hopi culture. The Kiva Garden and the third floor San Francisco Peaks Serenity Lounge provide places to relax and connect with Hopi traditions. The hotel is located adjacent to Tuba City, Arizona in Moenkopi.

The village is the western gateway to Hopi tribal lands and is a well traveled route between the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley. Travelers have been less acquainted with the tourism opportunities in the Hopi villages on First, Second, and Third Mesas. The hotel, through their website, www.ExperienceHopi.com, will connect visitors with authorized Hopi tour guides who provide private guided tours to the villages including Oraibi, Sipaulovi, and Walpi as well as Dawa Park – a site with thousands of rock art petroglyphs. The Hopi villages are among the longest continuously inhabited places in North America, dating back to 950 A.D.

Information about The Legacy Inn and Hopi tourism activities can be found at www.ExperienceHopi.com

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For images and video of the hotel and hotel opening visit: www.arizonatravelnews.org/hopiimagebank.html