Gateway Inn demonstrates RAF Mildenhall hospitality

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Thomas Trower
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The Gateway Inn staff here are not unaccustomed to providing quality temporary lodging service to local and visiting customers.

The employees of the 100th Force Support Squadron activity strive to outperform Air Force standards in their day-to-day tasks and this is evident in their accolades from leadership.

"We have 65 people on staff and run 318 rooms for guests," said Christian Peal, lodging manager. "Our mission is to provide lodging for active duty personnel, civilians and space available travelers either on base or in one of 13 contracted businesses."

This staff accomplishes their mission with great success if awards are any indication of lodging's capabilities. The staff recently learned that they were selected as winners of the 2010 U.S. Air Forces in Europe Large Base Innkeeper award and are now pushing for a win at Air Force level.

The unit would not be eligibility for the Innkeeper award if it weren't for their standard annual accreditation process. The Air Force standard is a score of 85 percent on the inspection; however, to compete in the Innkeeper award contest, an operation must score more than a 90 percent. The large base category is for any lodging facility that hosts more than 286 rooms.

"There are about 1,400 checklist items that we're inspected on. It is sort of our report card on meeting the Air Force standard," said Mr. Peal. "In 2009, the Gateway Inn scored a 95.8 percent during the accreditation."

The evaluation starts from the beginning, when an inspector calls the reservation desk to make a booking. Customer service personnel are unaware that they are being graded on their communication skills and acquiring the correct information from the guest. The inspection continues when the team arrives on base and judges the usefulness of base signs directing visitors to the lodging office.

This office consists of non-appropriated fund American employees, local direct hires, active duty Airmen and British Ministry of Defence civilians. The majority, 44 personnel, serve on the housekeeping staff, said Maria Stannard, executive housekeeper. Other positions include front desk personnel, janitors and maintenance crews.

"The majority of our workers have been working here at least five years," said Ms. Stannard. "However, we also have someone who has been with us more than 40 years."

"The key to the success of this team is building a good team to enforce the standard and providing consistency day in and day out," said Mr. Peal. "The Innkeeper award recognizes the best hotel operations, and we have phenomenal people and fantastic staff. At the end of the day, it's all about the interaction with guests and staff."