DAF announces Air Force Innkeeper Award Winners

  • Published
  • By Debbie Aragon
  • AFIMSC Public Affairs

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – The Air Force Services Center recently announced the winners of the 2023 Innkeeper Awards for best lodging facilities across the Department of the Air Force. 

After an in-person evaluation by lodging and hospitality expert teams from the AFSVC, the winners are:



Large operation (285 rooms or more): Kadena AB, Japan
Small operation (284 rooms or less): Spangdahlem AB, Germany 

“Although only two installations can win the coveted Innkeeper Awards, all of the finalists can be proud of the work they do and the great service they provide to all DAF Lodging patrons,” said Michelle Converse, AFSVC lodging management specialist.

More than 4.6 million visitors a year stay at Air Force Inns worldwide.

Created in 1981 and managed by the AFSVC, the Innkeeper Award Program recognizes the installation-level lodging facilities providing the most outstanding accommodations and customer service to travelers. 

Each lodging operation is evaluated on customer service, cleanliness, financials and related support activities, customer comment cards and in-person guest feedback.
 
Although much can be gathered from award nomination packages, in-person visits are vital to the process of identifying the best of the best, said Diana Yelder AFSVC lodging management specialist.

“Actually seeing the facilities and observing the teams as they showcase their programs and interact with customers is very important to determining the caliber of an operation,” Yelder added. 

Evaluation teams also keep an eye out for innovation at installations. 

“Innovation at installations is also an important factor in lodging operations,” said John Anderson, AFSVC services specialist. “Things like supporting environmental programs with small recycling bins in guests' rooms and tri-fold quick reference guides created for guest services help set the standards and could be benchmarked for use across DAF Lodging.” 

In addition to determining the best lodging operations, the evaluation teams also selected the best lodging team members for Traveler Awards, recognizing a team member at each finalist installation who best exemplifies the highest standards of professionalism, attitude, customer service and job knowledge.

2023 Traveler Award winners are: 

Small Base Category 
Luke AFB, Arizona – Isabell Westerhouse
Moody AFB, Georgia – Randy Washington
Spangdahlem AB – Scott Drew
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado – Mylisa Paullus

Large Base Category
Kadena AB – Jammie Ford 
MacDill AFB, Florida – Aime Powell
Maxwell AFB, Alabama – Nikkesha Jefferson
Ramstein AB, Germany – Salvatore Ritrovalto

2023 Overall Travelers’ Award Winners: 
Moody AFB – Randy Washington
Maxwell AFB – Nikkesha Jefferson

“The Innkeeper and Traveler awards are a great opportunity to recognize those teams that instill a great sense of pride and ownership in their operations by constantly innovating and improving the guest experience at their locations,” said Janae Sergio, AFSVC chief of DAF Lodging.

Winners of the Innkeeper Awards were presented with travelling trophies at the 2023 Lodging Manager’s Leadership Training this week at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona