By Margarita Cambest U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart
STUTTGART, Germany— A U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart employee is the 2025 Army Lodging Awards Supervisor of the Year. Panzer Hotel Assistant Manager Elsa Bonet Pocino won for her dedicated service and work in improving the lodging experience for guests at the Panzer Hotel. Nominees from across the globe were judged on their accomplishments for the rating year, including achievements, supervisor reviews, skills, training, peer reviews and guest surveys. “There’s not a harder working person in our organization,” said Stuttgart Army Lodging Manager Winter Keller. “Elsa is fully deserving of this award. It was all her.” Bonet Pocino started at the Panzer Hotel as a desk clerk five years ago and has since worked almost every position at the hotel. As assistant manager at the Panzer Lodge, she said she was directly responsible for implementing the enhanced breakfast program. “Our guest feedback told us that breakfast was not what was expected and so we collaborated to find out how to meet guest expectations,” she said. Launched as a pilot in Wiesbaden, Germany first, the enhanced breakfast program expanded to Stuttgart in 2025 and now features hot American breakfast staples, freshly squeezed juice, vegetarian options, and a popular waffle station. The Panzer Hotel also updated seating areas and the kitchen to accommodate the changes and trained employees for the enhanced service. Bonet Pocino said future changes include $4.2 million in hotel refurbishments planned for updated furniture, floors, and carpeting by 2027. Fluent in five languages, she said her application also included a summary of a broadening experience she did by taking a temporary assignment as the acting hotel manager at USAG Benelux for six months. The multilingual community was a great place to practice her skills but ultimately, she says her family and heart lie in Stuttgart. “Being nominated, let alone winning, is an honor,” Bonet Pocino said. “Army Lodging is full of amazing employees and individuals that care about the mission and our guests. It’s the best compliment I’ve ever received in my life.”