For decades, patients from across the globe have traveled to the Medical Campus to receive care from the University’s renowned physicians. And one of the first questions many patients ask is: “Where can my family stay?”
With the opening of the Parkway Hotel late last month, the Medical Campus now features an elegant hotel specifically designed to serve patients, visitors, family members and physicians affiliated with the School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish and Children’s hospitals.
“As our renowned physicians and health-care staff continue to attract an increasing number of patients and their families from around the world, the Parkway Hotel allows us to become a ‘destination medical center’ by offering accommodations that are not only comfortable but also convenient and specifically tailored to the needs of patients and their families,” said Larry J. Shapiro, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine.
The $25 million hotel, conveniently located on the corner of Forest Park and Euclid avenues, offers visitors, patients and their families all the amenities of a luxury hotel — room service, a business center, plush rooms, a workout facility — but its staff is specifically trained to meet the needs of recovering patients and their families.
“Our staff has been trained to go out of its way for our visitors because we understand that our guests may have different needs than other travelers,” said hotel General Manager April Risk.
“People have different needs when they are recovering, and the staff has been trained to anticipate and accommodate the special requests of patients and their families before they arrive and throughout their stay.”
Dwyane Ingram, Children’s Hospital senior guest relations specialist, explained that parents have been requesting a hotel near the hospital ever since he started working at the Medical Campus 13 years ago.
“The hotel is a blessing because parents want to stay close to their kids,” he said. “We’ll have so many of our families staying there because it’s so convenient.”
Hotel rates range from $99-$299, with discounts offered to patients, guests and University and BJC employees.
A full-service restaurant and bar, with indoor and outdoor café seating, is slated to open in late spring.
Other amenities include a covered walkway to the Center for Advanced Medicine, a business center with computer stations, a conference room and a gift shop.
Even the hotel’s décor has been designed with patients and their families in mind. The Country-French rooms have a contemporary flair and are styled in shades of warm yellow and soft blue to create a cheerful and soothing atmosphere.
“We wanted the rooms to be cheerful and comfortable,” Risk said. “We want to help visitors and their families have the best recovery possible, and we want them to feel like they’re staying in a hotel, not a hospital.”
Although the hotel has been designed with the special needs of patients in mind, it is open to the public, and many guests who are traveling to St. Louis for business and pleasure are expected to stay there.
For reservations, call 256-7777 or go to theparkwayhotel.com.