Long before the July 2024 ribbon-cutting ceremony at Clarkdale’s Taawaki Inn, the designers of the 44-room hotel were immersing themselves in Hopi culture. “We sat in a room with representatives from some of the different villages, some of the different clans and tribal council leaders,” says Hank Arens of Hank Arens Interior Design, who worked on the project with his associate, Laura Finsterwald. “We just asked a million questions.”
The tribe answered, and the hotel, which is the first Hopi lodging venture constructed off tribal land, features design elements that mimic traditional Hopi architecture: beams with wooden slats; a whitewashed look to the walls, to reflect the tribe’s seasonal cleansing rituals; and an extensive collection of original artwork, including a Duane Koyawena mural behind the reception desk.
“We had paint samples, and we asked, ‘What colors are important to you?’ ” Arens says. “They said, ‘The color of the sky, the color of the Earth, white for renewal.’ Everything had to be very authentic, with nothing reproduced.” The result is an interior that reflects Hopi spiritual traditions while also respecting the surrounding landscape.
“The Hopi people want to share their history and craftsmanship with the outside world through demonstrations and storytelling,” says Teresa Sherwood, the regional director of hotel operations for the Hopi Tribe Economic Development Corporation. “Taawaki Inn showcases their art and history throughout the hotel, in guest rooms and in the art gallery, and with the views of Tuzigoot National Monument, Jerome and Sedona, the atmosphere is peaceful and beautiful.”
Indeed, Tuzigoot is a three-minute drive or 30-minute walk from the hotel. According to the National Park Service, the Verde Valley villages, Tuzigoot among them, were stops on a much longer migration to the Hopi mesas.
In the Hopi language, “Taawaki” translates to “House of the Sun,” and the hotel is in a prime location for daytime adventures. It’s a short drive from the property to the Verde Canyon Railroad and the Verde River, and Sedona and Jerome are less than an hour away. Dining opportunities at the hotel are currently limited to breakfast, but according to Arens, the culinary team is hoping to offer more, including a high tea service, in the near future.
“I really want people to take away that this was done by the Hopi, for the Hopi,” he says. “It’s representative of them. Maybe guests can learn a little bit about a very quiet, underrecognized tribe.”
Taawaki Inn
441 S. Broadway
Clarkdale, AZ
United States