It's official:
Navajo Council approves Inn of Gallup purchase

ABOVE: State Police officer and dive master Kenneth Langley, right, and Julieta Espino, left, help Lisa Lopez put on her scuba gear in the Harold Runnels pool. Lopez, Espino and other members of the Gallup Junior Police Academy were receiving scuba training Thursday July, 17. [photo by Cable Hoover / Independent] BELOW: Lavina Sam holds tight as she swings on a tire at the Rehoboth Ropes Course. Sam was taking part in the Jr. Police Academy. [photo by Daniel Zollinger / Independent]

By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation Council voted Tuesday to approve the $6.6 million purchase of the Inn of Gallup along with $2.6 million for renovations.

The 212-room hotel with convention facilities will be operated by Navajo Nation Hospitality Enterprise. With development of the Nation’s first casino a few miles east of Gallup, some delegates said the hotel could have good feeder potential to bring traffic to the casino via a hotel shuttle service.
Funding for the purchase and renovations will come from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund.

Resources Committee Chairman George Arthur, who sponsored the legislation originally tabled June 30, was elated that the purchase finally was approved.

“I think we have opened new doors of doing business outside the box and the concept of taking risks and being competitive in the real world of this industry.

“We have a lot of visitors that come to the Navajo Nation but we don’t have a real accommodation that would fit various business visitors that do come here. We have now the opportunity to conduct all of our meetings within a very short distance of the Navajo Nation instead of having to travel to neighboring casinos to do business.”

Arthur said renovations will add $1 million to the value of the facility, formerly the Holiday Inn located at 2915 W. Highway 66.

Tohajiilee Delegate Lawrence Platero urged support of the bill, saying that the Hospitality Enterprise has purchased two Quality Inns in prior business deals and has made them both profitable.