A patient hotel provides accommodation for patients, and often their family, who need to be close to a hospital, but do not need a hospital bed. They are usually in the grounds of a hospital, and are used by people who are recuperating or awaiting treatment.

Patient hotels are typically separate buildings that provide mobile patients who can care for themselves a place to stay while undergoing medical and nursing interventions at a nearby hospital or health provider. Typically run by private sector companies, nurses are often employed as receptionists.^[1] Patient hotels play a critical role in vacating beds in the hospital that are needed for patients requiring a higher degree of care.^[2][3]

According to a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, guests of the hotel are most likely to be patients needing low level monitoring or simple investigations in obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, general medicine, and geriatric medicine. 79% of the studied patients were discharged the same or following day.^[1]

Heath providers largely see the benefit of patient hotels a cost-effective alternative for care during a surgery, at roughly a third of the price for a stay in the hospital, and increase patient satisfaction due to their element of hospitality.^[4][5] Hotel amenities often include an on-site restaurant, lounges, parking facilities, free wi-fi, similar to a traditional 3-star hotel. What differentiates it from a traditional hotel are hospital attributes, such as increased accessibility, wired for communication with providers, and hospital-grade finishes.^[6]