JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Lodging is one of four large-base finalists in the 2012 Air Force Innkeeper Award competition.
Randolph Lodging, which recently earned the Air Education and Training Command Innkeeper Award, joins Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, and Osan AB, South Korea, as finalists in the large-base category. Dover AFB, Del., Offutt AFB, Neb., Peterson AFB, Colo., and Spangdahlem AB, Germany, are finalists in the small-base category.
"Lodging means everything to me," Mary Eddy, 902nd Force Support Squadron lodging manager, said. "I'm really excited about the opportunity to show off what our employees have done. We have wonderful people here. We're like a family."
One of the 2012 Air Force Innkeeper Evaluation Teams will visit Randolph Lodging and the facilities of other finalists next month to assess operations, including customer service, housekeeping, financial and facility management, services and related support activities.
Mike Porter, 902nd FSS lodging assistant manager, said the four-person inspection team will visit Randolph for three days.
"It's an in-depth inspection," he said. "They are looking for customer comments, the enthusiasm of the employees, joint base leadership involvement and clean rooms."
Randolph's AETC award was based on board-graded Air Force Form 1206 submissions, accreditation scores and Defense Lodging System overall customer comment card surveys.
Porter attributes much of Randolph Lodging's success to Eddy's leadership.
"Her philosophy is clean, comfortable rooms with outstanding guest service," he said.
Eddy said lodging receives "excellent support" from JBSA and Randolph organizations.
"We have a great relationship with everybody on base," she said.
The lodging team consists of some 100 employees, including management, housekeepers, laborers and front desk, maintenance and logistics personnel.
Lodging's 390 rooms are used by distinguished visitors, service members on temporary duty, service members who are arriving at Randolph for their permanent change of station or awaiting a PCS to another base and 12th Flying Training Wing students. Amenities include a fitness room in Bldg. 121 and the Hitchin' Post Sundries Store in the lobby of the Randolph Inn, lodging's headquarters.
Air Force Services Agency's Air Force Innkeeper Award Program, created in 1981, recognizes lodging operations that provide the most outstanding hotel-type lodging and customer service to the Air Force traveler. The purpose of the award is to encourage innkeepers to improve their management and operation of lodging facilities.