The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Homeless women struggle to find place to spend night

  • 3

    More than dozen chaebol scions indicted on alleged drug use

  • 5

    People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions

  • 7

    Shunsuke Michieda overwhelmed by Korean fans' support for his coming-of-age film

  • 9

    Life prisoner sentenced to death for beating inmate to death

  • 11

    Kim Hyun-joo says humanity is at heart of action film 'Jung_E'

  • 13

    Korea's childbirths hit record low in Nov.

  • 15

    Korea's GDP shrinks 0.4% in Q4, 1st contraction in 10 quarters

  • 17

    S. Korea to increase joint air defense exercises following N. Korean drone incursions

  • 19

    VIDEODo Koreans know K-pop idols well?

  • 2

    Koreans stunned by spike in heating costs

  • 4

    Heavy snow hits Seoul, surrounding areas

  • 6

    Netflix series 'The Glory' draws focus to real school bullying

  • 8

    Inflation weighs on households

  • 10

    'I was a stock investment addict': psychiatrist seeks to help addicted people through his book

  • 12

    INTERVIEWPartnerships with Korean companies help Delta Air Lines' post-pandemic recovery

  • 14

    PHOTOSAnother day of heavy snowfall in Korea

  • 16

    Gov't to double subsidies for vulnerable households as energy bills soar

  • 18

    Renaissance aesthetics meets surreal fantasy in Park Min-joon's oil paintings

  • 20

    Gov't seeks to limit where child sex offenders can reside

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Sat, January 28, 2023 | 03:02
Hotels partner with medical clinics
Posted : 2014-09-18 18:46
Updated : 2014-09-18 18:46
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
The Imperial Palace Seoul's medical center is located on the third floor, which is connected to an outdoor area resembling a traditional garden where recovering patients can rest. / Courtesy of the Imperial Palace Seoul
The Imperial Palace Seoul's medical center is located on the third floor, which is connected to an outdoor area resembling a traditional garden where recovering patients can rest. / Courtesy of the Imperial Palace Seoul



By Kim Se-jeong


The words "hotel" and "hospital" have the same root word: "host," which in turn, comes from the Latin word "hospes," meaning "guest."

One hotel that remembers its roots is the Imperial Palace Seoul.

Since 2009, the hotel ― located in the Garosu-gil area within the city's upscale Gangnam District ― has been the site of a medical center that includes a dental clinic, a dermatology clinic, an aesthetic center and a stem cell clinic.

The majority of patients are Koreans, who are drawn to the center by three things: service, privacy and convenience.

The Imperial Palace Seoul's medical center is located on the third floor, which is connected to an outdoor area resembling a traditional garden where recovering patients can rest. / Courtesy of the Imperial Palace Seoul
The dental clinic at the Imperial Palace Seoul's medical center has garnered positive reviews from local patients for privacy, convenience and excellent service. / Korea Times photos by Kim Se-jeong

"It's in a hotel, so I feel the service is different," K. Choi, a patient at the dental clinic, told The Korea Times. "In an ordinary clinic, I feel nervous when machines go off with a loud noise. Here I do not have to worry about it. Each room is separate. I have a better sense of privacy. Also, the clinic is a one-stop shop, which is good for busy patients like myself."


Kim Young-hoon, the dentist who owns the clinic, says the location and the hotel's good name help his business. He says his patients are satisfied with the service.

"Since I moved here, I do not have to worry about parking space for patients," said Kim. "At the old location near Gangnam station, I did not have enough parking, and consequently I lost many potential patients. Also, being close to accommodations enables me to perform operations on those who need immediate care."

Meanwhile, hotels are encouraging patients to stay there after their treatments. The Imperial Palace Seoul offers discounts on rooms and other facilities.

The Imperial Palace Seoul's medical center is located on the third floor, which is connected to an outdoor area resembling a traditional garden where recovering patients can rest. / Courtesy of the Imperial Palace Seoul
A corridor inside the Imperial Palace Seoul displays advertisements for the on-site dermatology clinic.

The Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul, offers an "anti-aging package" that includes a discounted one- or two-night stay at the hotel as well as treatment at the anti-aging clinic inside the hotel.


The Ritz-Carlton in Seoul houses the May Clinic, which has one dermatology clinic and two plastic surgery clinics.

While local patients make up a majority of their clientele, these hotel medical clinics are now targeting foreign tourists.

The number of tourists who visit Korea to get medical treatment is on the rise, prompting hoteliers to partner with hospitals and clinics.

Last year alone, 211,218 people visited Korea to obtain medical treatment, a 32.5-percent jump from the previous year. Chinese patients made up most of that number with 56,075, followed by American and Russian patients with 32,750 and 24,026, respectively. Plastic surgery was the most popular form of treatment.

On Tuesday, the government showed its support for medical tourism by allowing medical centers to operate hotels, and is getting ready to launch a medical tourism website.

The stem cell clinic at Imperial Palace Seoul has a success story.

Currently, foreign patients account for 35 percent of its clientele, up significantly from only 20 percent earlier this year. The clinic has brochures written in Chinese and has hired a Chinese interpreter to better serve Chinese patients, who account for a significant portion of its foreign clientele.

Anti-aging treatments using stem cells are the most popular services at the clinic, and patients who have received such treatments stay three days and two nights on average at the hotel. The clinic staff say the proximity of the clinic to the rooms is an important selling point.

There are two common forms of partnership between hotels and hospitals or clinics. One involves a hotel hosting a clinic on its property, as in the case of the Imperial Palace Seoul, while the other involves a hotel partnering with a nearby clinic as in the case of the Lotte Hotel.

The Lotte Hotel's medical partners, the Samsung Medical Center and Korea University Hospital, are located off- site but send their patients to the hotel, where they benefit from discounted rooms and an interpretation service.

The Plaza has similar partnerships with local plastic surgery clinics.

The Grand Hyatt Incheon accommodates patients from the Inha International Medical Center, operated by Inha University's medical school and located near Incheon International Airport. Both the hotel and Inha University are owned by Korean Air.

 
wooribank
Top 10 Stories
1People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions
2SK E&S retains gov't support for Barossa gas project in Australia SK E&S retains gov't support for Barossa gas project in Australia
3More Korean manufacturers enjoy Georgia's hospitality More Korean manufacturers enjoy Georgia's hospitality
4Cabinet ministries turn deaf ear to watchdog's advice on sexual minorities Cabinet ministries turn deaf ear to watchdog's advice on sexual minorities
5Seoul to work with Hanoi to pursue peace on Korean peninsula Seoul to work with Hanoi to pursue peace on Korean peninsula
6Superintendent of Seoul Education Office gets suspended jail term Superintendent of Seoul Education Office gets suspended jail term
7KT&G aims to become global top-tier company KT&G aims to become global top-tier company
8Indonesia celebrates 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Korea via virtual event Indonesia celebrates 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Korea via virtual event
9LGES to capitalize on US IRA, Tesla partnership to continue record earnings LGES to capitalize on US IRA, Tesla partnership to continue record earnings
10Middle East 'sales diplomacy' picks up speed Middle East 'sales diplomacy' picks up speed
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Shunsuke Michieda overwhelmed by Korean fans' support for his coming-of-age film Shunsuke Michieda overwhelmed by Korean fans' support for his coming-of-age film
2Kim Hyun-joo says humanity is at heart of action film 'Jung_E' Kim Hyun-joo says humanity is at heart of action film 'Jung_E'
3Renaissance aesthetics meets surreal fantasy in Park Min-joon's oil paintings Renaissance aesthetics meets surreal fantasy in Park Min-joon's oil paintings
4Jang Keun-suk steps out of his comfort zone with 'The Bait' Jang Keun-suk steps out of his comfort zone with 'The Bait'
5TXT brings together 'pansori' and fairy tale in new song 'Sugar Rush Ride' TXT brings together 'pansori' and fairy tale in new song 'Sugar Rush Ride'
DARKROOM
  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

  • World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

    World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

wooribank
CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group