The Ramada is doing it right – a blueprint to follow when catering to medical tourists

Catering to medical tourists - Ramada Plaza Herradura, San Jose, Costa Rica

Statistics indicate that tourists visiting Costa Rica on medical vacations spend six times more than the average vacationer.  That’s quite an up-tick, wouldn’t you say?

The government and tourism industry, and now the hospitality industry, are beginning to take notice and respond to the demand.  From what I witnessed, personally, this Ramada is a good example of how the hotel industry should respond.  Here’ what they’ve done and what they offer.

First of all they didn’t enter the industry on a whim and a guess.  They brought in a consulting firm to study the medical tourism industry in relation to the hotel’s existing services and suggest additional services to add to the comfort of their medical guests.

Then, they brought in a consultant to train the hospital staff; everyone from the cooks to the maids, on the special needs of medical tourists – training them on the scenarios they might expect to encounter. That’s huge.

As a result, here’s what you can expect if you’re a medical tourist staying at the Ramada:

1)      Complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport, of course, but in addition

2)      Transportation to and from all major hospitals and clinics, free of charge.  That’s peace of mind in terms of navigating appointments, and a big savings in out-of-pocket taxi expenses.

3)      A private lobby with a separate entrance for medical tourists.  This respects the privacy of medical patients.  They’re free to choose when they want to mingle with the rest of the hotel guests.

4)      A 24/7 nurse and physician on duty, free of charge.

5)      Free delivery from nearby pharmacy and medical supply stores.

6)      Special menus and room service.

All this in addition to what all guests enjoy; free high-speed internet, discounts in their three award-winning restaurants, three swimming pools and a professionally staffed spa – and free access to the Cariari Country Club, located next to the hotel, with 18 holes of golf, an Olympic size swimming pool, tennis courts and gym.

I think this hotel stands out as a blueprint on what other hotels need to do to serve medical tourists.

View the Ramada’s Medical Tourism brochure