U.S. Navy Photo by Aaron J. Heiner
Warm and inviting are two words that can be used to describe the rooms at Navy Gateway Ins & Suites. Many suites offer separate living areas, kitchens and in case of this officer's suite, a sun room.
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Navy Gateway Inns and Suites, home away from home
Whether you're a civilian employee on the road, a service member on leave, or a traveling retiree, before dropping your hard earned cash down on the check-in counter at an expensive hotel try the Navy Gateway Inns and Suites.
Navy Gateway Inns and Suites provides service members and their families with short term lodging, equivalent to a mid-level commercial hotel at nearly half the cost. Formerly known as Visiting Quarters (VQ), or “The Q,” Navy Gateway Inns and Suites aims to redefine the military's customer experience.
"I would recommend Navy Gateway Inns and Suites to anyone who is traveling. It is much better than the former VQ," said Gene Hile, MWR's manager for Naval District Washington (NDW). "You are going to find quality and standardization at an excellent pricefrom a third to half the cost of a regular commercial hotel."
Installation visiting quarters’ were separated from the military housing program to better suit the needs of a different customer. According to Hile, the housing office provides an excellent service when hosting Sailors and their families. However, personnel needing hotel accommodations have different requirements and the VQ model was no longer effective. When the time came for housing to modernize through the Public Private Venture (PPV), so did the time for short term lodging.
"In the days before Navy Gateway Inns and Suites, a Sailor easily would have arrived at the VQ, pay the 20 dollars for a night's stay before turning in for the night," said Debra Raspberry, assistant manager at the lodging facility located at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB). "That very same Sailor might arrive to find a room that had seen better daysleaky faucets, a toilet that won't stop running, or bad wallpaper."
John Inaldo, accounts manager at JBAB, said that many Department of Defense employees and military personnel prefer to stay on base because the amenities offered are comparable to mainstream commercial facilities at a much better price.
“In the DC area, the average night stay may cost 170 dollars and up. Our highest rate is only 70 dollars a night,” said Inaldo. “We also offer a variety of different room types and amenities.”
Navy Gateway Inns and Suites offers similar amenities to commercial name brand hotels, including refrigerators, microwaves, large high definition televisions and queen sleeper sofas. Some of the suites offered to officers even include multiple bedrooms, full kitchens and even laundry rooms, he added.
“We are now comparable to any major hotel chains when it comes to our amenities,” said Inaldo. “Not only can we provide a great place to stay, we offer first rate customer service.”
Navy Gateway Inns and Suites' motto is “Costumers’ first," and according to Raspberry customer service is the company's foremost priority. The facilities at JBAB have 238 rooms with a staff of 73, which equates to one employee for every three guests when every room is full.
“We can offer an outstanding customer experience at a very reasonable price,” said Raspberry. “Our location has a lot of repeat business because we are focused on service.”
Navy Gateway Inns and Suites is available to members of all branches of the military and civilian employees with multiple locations within NDW. For those looking to travel abroad for vacation, or for families wishing to visit Sailors stationed overseas, Navy Gateway Inns and Suites offers facilities in 10 different countries.
"Customers will receive the same level of quality and service no matter where you go," said Raspberry. “If you stay with us, you won’t be disappointed.”
Reservations for Navy Gateway Inns & Suites locations can be made by calling 1-877-NAVY-BED (1-877-628-9233), or on line at www.dodlodging.net.