With Hotel Polaris approaching the end of its second year of operation and the Hosmer Visitor Center having opened to the public in May 2026, the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation has prepared a historical and financial overview of the project. The document provides context on why the Association of Graduates (AOG) and Air Force Academy Foundation supported the development and the project. It also comes as graduates, including those returning to the Academy for reunions and other events, have expressed interest in the hotel's performance.

Located just outside the Academy’s North Gate, Hotel Polaris and the Hosmer Visitor Center are part of a new gateway to the U.S. Air Force Academy. The project was conceived to enhance visitor engagement while reducing security-related interruptions that had increasingly impeded access to the Academy following 9/11.

Developed by a third-party developer using an Enhanced-Use Lease, the project was financed through municipal bonds and tax incentives. The financing supported infrastructure, Hotel Polaris and the Hosmer Visitor Center, with bond payments serviced by a combination of municipal and occupancy taxes and Hotel Polaris cash flows.

In 2021, the AOG and Air Force Academy Foundation separately agreed to support aspects of the development to help enable the project’s financing and completion.

The overview details the project’s history, financing structure, organizational commitments and performance to date, providing graduates and other interested readers with a shared factual foundation for understanding the project and its path forward.