Opening the front door to RAF Mildenhall

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The staff at the RAF Mildenhall's Gateway Inn, pride themselves on ensuring guests have the best possible experience while staying in their home away from home. 

With 65 civilians and seven military staff working in and around the Gateway Inn, there's always someone ensuring the rooms are clean and everything is in place and working as it should be. 

While the first thing people see at the Gateway Inn is the friendly staff at the front desk (which is open 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year), there's a whole host of other people working behind the scenes. 

According to Christian Peal, Gateway Inn lodging manager, his staff are "A diverse team of lodging professionals, all with the same goal of providing our guests the best service anywhere. 

"We consider the lodging front desk to be the front door to RAF Mildenhall," he said. "We're usually (the customers') first stop after a long flight, so our guest service representatives are always ready to go the extra mile to take care of them." 

Mr. Peal has nothing but the highest praise for the staff's hard work. 

"Our housekeepers are the heart of our operation and provide our guests a fantastic level of service. We couldn't function without our logistics team, who source, purchase, receive, warehouse and issue every item we use in lodging, or the linen supply staff, who keep us in operation every day of the year by ensuring there are always sufficient quantities of clean linen on hand." 

The lodging manager also commended the custodial workers, reservation and maintenance staffs for all they all do to ensure guests are properly taken care of. 

The Gateway Inn offers two temporary lodging facilities and has a total of eight buildings, and 318 rooms. Eight pet-friendly rooms are also available and allow a maximum of two pets, which can only be cats or dogs. 

Lodging is authorized for active duty military, Department of Defense civilians and retirees. Mr. Peal said official travelers and guests PCSing to and from RAF Mildenhall are considered priority one. 

Space-available is priority two, and guests can make their reservations up to 30 days in advance, depending on occupancy. All reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis, regardless of rank. 

Visiting quarters cost $39 per night and have a full or queen bed, microwave and mini refrigerator. For families with children, there are one- and two-bedroom suites in the TLFs. They cost $41.50 per night, can accommodate up to six family members, and are equipped with a kitchenette. 

Pet-friendly suites cost an additional $10 per night. 

There are also business suites available for distinguished visitors, including chief master sergeants, colonels and generals. 

For more information, or to make a reservation, call DSN 238-6001. 

(Information provided by the Gateway Inn)