Navajo Nation breaks ground on new La Quinta hotel in Shonto
Apr 10, 2021, 5:45 AM
(Navajo Nation Photo)
(Navajo Nation Photo)
PHOENIX – The Navajo Nation broke ground Tuesday on a new 54,000-square-foot hotel coming to the Shonto, Arizona, community.
The three-story La Quinta Inn hotel, located at the intersection of U.S. Route 160 and State Route 98, will feature 83 guest rooms as well as conference rooms and other amenities.
An estimated 80 jobs will be created during the project’s construction and an additional 30 permanent jobs created when the hotel opens.
“A few years ago, the Navajo Nation completed the travel center here in Shonto and now we are taking another step forward with the start of construction of the new hotel,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said in a press release.
“This initiative is part of a larger vision of creating a tourism corridor that will attract more visitors to Navajo land to increase our economic potential. I extend my appreciation to everyone, including all of the past and present local leaders, who advocated and remained committed to this project over many years.”
The construction of the hotel is funded through a $5 million allocation from the Permanent Trust Fund interest income, $3 million from the Navajo Nation Division of Economic Development and $3.1 million from the Abandoned Mines Land Program, according to the release.
