Hospitals have many incentives to adopt hotel-inspired features, services and staff training, according to an article on the The New York Times website.
Medical researchers say some amenities can improve health outcomes by reducing stress and anxiety.
However, the trend is being driven by the need to attract patients with private insurance who have a choice in where they receive care.
“It’s a way for hospitals to compete with each other,” Zig Wu, a senior program manager at Stanford Health Care, said in the article.