Students, faculty, and Rexburg community members gathered Friday to witness the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Marriott located near the West Yellowstone Highway.
Guests to the grand opening were greeted at the door with a “passport” and were encouraged to visit various locations within the hotel, including the pool, Jacuzzi, conference rooms and several suites.
Donna Benfield, a city council member, kicked off the ribbon cutting ceremony with a speech describing the effects of the new hotel on the Rexburg economy. Benfield said the Rexburg economy is a three legged stool of BYU-Idaho, agriculture, and the travel and tourism industry.
She is optimistic about the future of the Rexburg economy and is excited about the new hotel.
Benfield said 90 percent of the visitors to Idaho last year drove, which “plays right into the hotel industry.”
Hotels are a key component of the economy, she continued, adding that for every bus or motor coach that stays over night in a city four to five thousand dollars will be spent in that town.
The overall reaction to the new tourist destination was favorable. April Spaulding, the area director for the Heber J. Grant program and an attendee at the event said the new hotel’s theme was “an interesting mix of time periods but still [maintained] a very contemporary design; the non- traditional rooms [were ideal for a comfortable stay].”
Many guests noted the unique layout and design of the hotel. Savannah Jagielski, an assistant in the admissions office at BYU-Idaho who also attended the event, said the design was “light, refreshing and clean.”
The students who attended were also impressed with the new hotel. “It would be fun to host an event or a dance party here,” said Leah Chiriboga, a sophomore studying political science.
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