Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATION

I, Glade M. Knight, certify that:

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|1. | I have reviewed this report on Form 10-Q of Apple REIT Eight, Inc.;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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|2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to statea material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statementswere made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;                          
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|3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report,fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant asof, and for, the periods presented in this report;                                             
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|4. | The registrants other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosurecontrols and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control overfinancial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
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|   | a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |  | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and proceduresto be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, includingits consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during theperiod in which this report is being prepared;         
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|   | b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |  | Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financialreporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability offinancial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance withgenerally accepted accounting principles;                
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|   | c)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |  | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants disclosure controls and procedures and presented in thisreport our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of  heperiod covered by this report based on such evaluation; and                                                                                                   
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|   | d)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |  | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrants internal control over financial reporting thatoccurred during the registrants most recent fiscal quarter (the registrants fourth fiscal quarter in the case ofan annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrantsinternal control over financial reporting; and
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|5. | The registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrants auditors and the audit committee of the registrants board ofdirectors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):                                    
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|   | a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |  | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control overfinancial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrants ability to record, process,summarize and report financial information; and                                                                                                             
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|   | b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |  | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have asignificant role in the registrants internal control over financial reporting.                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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|Date: August 7, 2009 |  | /s/ GLADEM. KNIGHT                                          
|                     |  | Glade M. KnightChief Executive OfficerAPPLE REIT EIGHT, Inc.
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