Checkup

The Inn at Mayo Clinic Gets a New Look

The lobby's new look includes a computer station with high-speed wireless access that allows guests to stay connected and send e-mails.

Seven years is a long time in hotel years. With an occupancy rate of about 75 percent throughout the year, the Inn at Mayo Clinic is a busy place with an important job. It provides a comfortable, hassle-free home away from home for thousands of patients who travel to Mayo Clinic for medical appointments and, sometimes, arduous treatments. The hotel was starting to show the strain of being such a gracious and meticulous host.

"Most hotels are ready for a refurbishing every six years, so we were a little overdue," says the Inn's general manager, Kevin Pagnano.

Most hotels, he also points out, are geared toward the business traveler who arrives late and checks out early. The Inn is unique because it caters to patients who arrive early, check out later in the day and spend more time in the room overall. Throw in the fact that the rooms have fully equipped kitchenettes that see a lot of use, and it becomes evident why it needed a facelift.

"Our rooms receive much more traffic than a standard hotel," Pagnano says. "Our guests spend considerably more hours in the room and many are using wheelchairs or other aids that can accelerate the wear of the carpets and other areas of the hotel."

Everything is clean and new, from the bedding to the soothing color scheme.

Mayo Clinic owns the 78-suite hotel, which was built in 1998 and is managed by Marriott. It has studio, one- and two-bedroom suites with separate living and sleeping areas and is connected to the Mayo and Cannaday buildings so guests can stay inside while going to and from appointments. The proximity to the main clinic also makes the visit to Mayo a little easier. The hotel staff already has won patients' hearts over the years with their excellent customer service and friendly smiles. But after a $650,000 renovation, Pagnano thinks the Inn's revitalized look and new amenities will win a few more.

Included in the changes are new carpeting in all rooms, hallways and the lobby; new drapes, sheets, couches and wall vinyl in all rooms and public spaces; new 10-inch spring mattresses to replace the older 4-inch foam ones; and the conversion of 25 rooms from one to two beds per room. Guests can take advantage of a high-speed wireless connection in the newly refurbished lobby, as well as a large-screened computer with Internet connections if they don't have their own.

The entire hotel is now non-smoking. Because the renovation brought in new carpeting, drapes and bedding, the timing was perfect to change, since odors are hard to eliminate from such items without replacing them.

The Inn has received a well-deserved renovation, but patients will find one thing that hasn't changed — the staff's compassion.

"Weekly I see associates of the hotel giving hugs goodbye, sharing a laugh and even crying with those in great need," says Pagnano. "This type of connection doesn't happen in other hotels."

Info:
(904) 992-9992
Reservations:
Toll-free 888-255-4458
On-line:
www.marriotthotels.com/jaxmy