Duke completes major lodging renovations

  • Published
  • By Dan Neely
  • 919th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
DUKE FIELD, Fla. --  Duke Field's lodging facilities, originally built in 1954 - the year Elvis Presley began his iconic entertainment career -- have entered the 21st century.

After a brief "grand re-opening" ceremony March 1, 2013 Colonel Andy Comtois, the 919th Special Operations Wing commander, cut a ribbon that effectively completed the second and final phase of a $10.1 million floor-to-roof renovation of the base's Duke Inn and Visiting Quarters.

Today, two buildings (the first renovated building opened in 2008), three stories each, now combine to offer 96 updated guest rooms, including a total of four business suites. Additionally, four of the rooms were constructed in specific compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

"Clearly, we don't have enough lodging to house everybody on our (unit training assemblies) but every room that we do have helps us out with our bottom line," Comtois remarked. He said the wing will save an estimated $100,000 annually in travel-related costs, though many other Airmen will remain supported with referrals to local area hotels.

In addition to the more routine transient guests, some 919th SOW Airmen who live out of the local area will continue to use the Duke Inn during their monthly Reserve UTA drill weekends.
Prior to the renovations, amenities were rather austere by today's standards, according to Kevin Smith, the Business Operations Manager for the 919th Force Support Squadron's services flight.
Smith explained that the facility's earlier substandard state required the wing to maintain a standing waiver from the Air Force just to permit junior ranking Airmen to occupy it.

"The hallways on each floor had two central bathrooms - actually gang showers - basically just one common bathroom for 12 guests, he said. "Today we have all private rooms with brand new furnishings and private bathrooms with individually controlled air conditioning and heating systems, and those were some of the key things in trying to get the buildings caught up to the 21st century."

Following the ceremony, interested base members were given a tour of the newly reopened facility's rooms and suites while enjoying free cake and coffee provided by the lodging staff.