The Healthcare Hotel

Michael Azarian, managing director of Kimmerle Group’s Health Care Studio

NEW YORK CITY—Treating healthcare patients like hotel guests isn’t necessarily a new concept. The trend has existed in various forms throughout the last 20 years. However, the motivations behind it have definitely changed, and so have the actual effects on the patients and the healthcare industry as a whole.

When the concept of hotel-like design was first introduced to the healthcare industry, it revolved around the idea that if inpatient surroundings, primarily patient rooms and nursing units were similar to hotel-like environments, healthcare institutions could charge their occupants additional fees for the upscale experience. This would increase their bottom lines, despite the higher staffing ratios that were necessary to enhance and maintain the experience.