A Mint on Your Pillow, and an Urgent Care Doctor at Your Disposal

Guests at Hawai‘i’s Royal Kona Resort don’t have to go too far or enlist Google to find a doctor if they get a toxic dose of the sun or need a jellyfish sting looked at. The hotel offers guests the convenience of seeing a physician from DOCNow Virtual Healthcare Centers right in their own room (or the lobby or even the poolside bar) every day of the year, from 8 am to 9 pm. It even supplies the iPad for the virtual visit. DOCNow points out that the service also saves the day for patients who took off for vacation without thinking to pack their birth control pills or cardiovascular medications; physicians can “write” them a prescription electronically so the patient only has to make their way to the closest pharmacy (some of which may deliver, anyway).  While DOCNow has the Royal Kona Resort account locked up, the arrangement can serve as an excellent example of how other operators can forge profitable relationships with lodging providers and resorts just about anywhere.