South Dakota Hospital Offers On-Site Hotel for Patients and Families
South Dakota's Sanford Orthopedic Hospital now includes a 56-room hotel, offering patients and families a seamless, stress-free stay before surgery.
A Groundbreaking Fusion of Hospital and Hotel
In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a new facility is redefining what it means to combine medical care with comfort. The Sanford Orthopedic Hospital and Highpoint Hotel, which opened earlier this year, occupies a nine-story building that houses both a full-service hospital and a 56-room hotel. While hotels near hospitals are common, this project stands out because the hotel is integrated within the same structure, offering patients and their families a seamless experience before surgery or during recovery.
Designed for Patient Convenience
The top two floors of the building are dedicated to the hotel, while the lower levels contain operating rooms, inpatient rooms, and an intraoperative MRI suite. According to Andy Munce, president and CEO of Sanford Health's Sioux Falls region, the goal was to eliminate the stress of long commutes. “It’s much more convenient for patients to take an elevator down eight floors and check in for surgery than to drive across town or, in many cases, hundreds of miles,” he said. “The thought process was: How do we make it easy for them?”
Key Features of the Facility
- 12 operating rooms and 19 inpatient rooms for orthopedic procedures
- Intraoperative MRI for real-time imaging
- 56 hotel rooms with a bar, restaurant, and sky lobby with fireplace
- Direct connection to a delivery ward and emergency services
This setup is especially valuable for patients traveling from rural areas. In South Dakota, a trip to a specialized hospital can require crossing half the state. Now, those patients can stay overnight before surgery without worrying about traffic, weather, or finding a separate hotel.
Blending Healthcare and Hospitality
Luis Zapiain, director of hospitality at HKS — the architecture firm that designed the building — noted that the combination is rare in healthcare architecture. “Hotels in close proximity to hospitals is nothing new. You can see that all over the country,” he said. “But they’re just a place to stay. What Sanford was looking for was an elevated experience that they could operate themselves and offer those services to their patients in a holistic way.”
Munce views the hotel as a natural extension of the hospital’s mission. “When they’re traveling for procedures, for subspecialty care, for ICU-type scenarios, they have a lot on their minds,” he explained. “It can be a very stressful situation. How can we as a health system help them with that?” The answer was a facility that provides not just medical care but also comfort and convenience under one roof.
A Rare Joint Effort in Design
To achieve this blend, HKS brought together its hospitality studio and healthcare specialists for a rare collaborative project. They developed a design that respects the distinct identities of each part of the building. “We had two separate teams doing the interior designs,” Zapiain said. The hospital spaces feature white walls and a clean, functional aesthetic, while the hotel incorporates warmer materials and calming colors to evoke relaxation.
- Hospital areas: Prioritize cleanliness, professionalism, and medical efficiency.
- Hotel areas: Emphasize comfort, calm, and a restorative atmosphere.
The result is a facility where patients can transition from a hotel room to an operating room without ever leaving the building — and where families can stay close without feeling like they are in a medical environment.
A Model for Patient-Centric Care
The Sanford Orthopedic Hospital and Highpoint Hotel may be a rarity today, but it points toward a future where healthcare facilities increasingly prioritize the complete patient experience. By eliminating logistical hurdles and providing an integrated hospitality option, Sanford Health hopes to reduce stress and improve outcomes for patients traveling for specialized care.
As Munce summed up, “This is about making people’s lives easier when they’re already facing a challenging time.” And with the hotel now open, patients no longer need a doctor’s appointment to check in — just a desire for a restful stay before their medical journey begins.