Where the Wealthy Get Healthy

Gold, marble and mahogany throughout. Anything-you-want, any time in-room dining. Your own concierge. Satellite channels from around the world and newspapers in any language delivered at the snap of a finger. Sure, international royalty, celebrities and the wealthy demand this level of luxury when they stay in New York, Paris or Tokyo. But, nestled in the Minnesota countryside?

This is Rochester, Minn.’s new International Hotel (www.internationalhotelmn.com), welcoming guests who appreciate and can afford exceptional levels of service while visiting the Mayo Clinic.

“From the interior design to the first-class amenities, the International Hotel is truly a home away from home for worldly travelers and Mayo patients,” said Bruce Fairchild, regional director of operations. “Our adage is ‘Yes is the answer, what is the question.’”

Known as one of the top medical facilities in the world, the Mayo Clinic fuels health tourism with more than 500,000 outpatients checking in each year. From the demands of the city’s most luxurious visitors was born the International Hotel, a Sunstone Hotel Investors Property.

The International Hotel evolved from the company’s cornerstone property, The Kahler Grand Hotel. With a history of more than 80 years of “growing with Mayo,” the Kahler Grand took the next step in 2006, opening its penthouse exclusively to discerning travelers. The 26-room, all-suite luxury “hotel within a hotel” delivers five-star customized accommodations that complement the world-renowned medical services provided by the adjacent Mayo Clinic.

24/7 First-Class Service for First-Class Guests

Arabic royalty, foreign dignitaries and all discerning travelers enjoy a “no check-in” policy and personal concierge available 24/7 while staying at the International Hotel. Their favorite comfort food is waiting for them in their room - one of five deluxe rooms, seven mini suites, six grand suites, and one presidential suite. The Lounge, a 24-hour exclusive retreat for guests, serves a "true" European-style breakfast, rather than the continental-norm, as well as afternoon high tea and an evening reception with hors d' oeuvres, canapés, petit fours and fine wines and liqueurs.

The Mayo-centric amenities include Ask MayoTM telephone lines in the Lounge and suites with 24-hour access to medical experts. Not only will the International staff escort guests to their appointments at the Mayo Clinic, they'll be at their service upon return.

East meets west as award-winning chefs have designed their own unique menu for Middle Eastern travelers. But food and beverage is not limited to a standard menu as culinary experts are on hand around the clock to cook cuisine tailored to guests' appetites, or their favorite doctor-recommended snacks.

Three enormous flat screen LCD TVs with satellite feeds to over 200-plus international channels are featured in the Lounge so worldly travelers won't have too worry about missing their favorite shows. Looking for international headlines, guests can also choose from 360 global newspapers as it's delivered to their door in the morning.

If guests have business to do while away, a private meeting room is accessible with international calling, speakerphones, teleconferencing capabilities and Mayo Clinic computer support. Personalized stationary is waiting at in-room desks, as the suite becomes the guests short-term home. And all guestrooms are furnished with office equipment, including Cable and WiFi Internet access, printer, scanner, fax, copier and a personal storage safe, not to mention the over-sized mahogany furniture.

The International Hotel features mahogany trim, gold fixtures and marble floors, fine linens, European-style baths and whirlpool saunas, and digital temperature controls. Refrigerators, oversized flat screen LCD TVs, DVD, CD, MP3 players, and cordless and wired telephones with direct phone and fax numbers provide some of the finishing touches for a home away from home experience.

"The privacy and luxury of the International came from guest demands," says Fairchild. "Guests of the Mayo Clinic and other visitors to Rochester were looking for the kinds of accommodations reserved for the most exclusive travelers. It doesn't matter that they are not in New York, Paris or Tokyo, these guests want an experience equal to the finest hotels in the world, which is what we intend to deliver."

A hotel truly “international” for worldly guests and the wealthy has been designed in an unexpected place, Rochester, Minn. Combined with personalized five-star features and services, and first-class medical services at the Mayo Clinic, sophisticated travelers and patients have a new home away from home—the International Hotel.

SOURCE The International Hotel