Pikes Peak Lodge polished and ready for ‘Innkeeper Award’ Published July 15, 2008 By Margie Arnold 21st Services Squadron PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Pikes Peak Lodge was recently named the number one small lodging operation in Air Force Space Command. Pikes Peak Lodge now completes at the Headquarters, Air Force level for the service-wide Innkeeper Award. The AF Innkeeper Award is presented annually to recognize, by Air Force-wide competition, lodging operations that provide the most outstanding hotel-type lodging and customer service to AF travelers. The competition encourages innkeepers to improve their management and operation of lodging facilities, with the customer being the ultimate benefactor. Pikes Peak Lodge staff and management provide first-class lodging services to all levels of guests - from the first term airman to his Commander in Chief. President George W. Bush has stayed at Pikes Peak Lodge on one occasion. As she nodded toward her staff with pride, Joey Sanchez, Pikes Peak Lodge manager, said, "Our people are absolutely outstanding. You could have the best facilities in the Air Force but a staff that does not support it. In our case, we have good facilities and a superior staff that makes everything come together." The LeMay team stayed at Pikes Peak Lodge in April of this year for their evaluation visit of 21st Services Squadron. At the outbrief, Col. Jett, team leader, remarked that the LeMay team was awed and dazzled by the performance of the entire Pikes Peak Lodge staff. From reservations to housekeeping to maintenance, he said, they all work well and efficiently as a team, and he took the opportunity to bestow special kudos to Pikes Peak Lodge's leadership. "We should - and will - win this award because we have such a diverse mission in (the Department of Defense and Air Force) with an op[erations] tempo unlike any other AF Inn," said Ms. Sanchez. "We work hard (24 hours a day, seven days a week), 365 days a year, and always strive for excellence. We get continuous recognition from our lowest ranking visitor to our Commander in Chief. This award would be the icing on the cake. This is the most prestigious award that a lodging operation can be honored with." Pikes Peak Lodge was previously nominated for the award in 2003. The Innkeeper evaluation team will be at Peterson July 18 and 19.