I Don’t Do Adderall - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
"A guest at the Century Plaza wants his Adderall refilled. Can you go?" asked someone from the office of a local concierge doctor.
Opinion Articles
A Dog-Eat-Dog Business, Part 6 - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
People often ask what sort of contract I had with hotels. The answer is none. Staff called because I was easy to reach and quick to respond. Once they called a few times, they were not inclined to change.
How Much Does An Emergency Room Cost? - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
A lady had been vomiting for three days. She had felt better that morning but then relapsed. She sounded weary.
Losing the Chateau Marmont - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
The Chateau Marmont is a funky art-deco apartment converted to a hotel in the 1930s with nine nearby cottages acquired during the 1940s. John Belushi died in a cottage in 1982, but that was a few years before I became its doctor.
Cheating Medicare - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
Hearing my fee, the guest announced that he was on Medicare. I explained that I am not a Medicare doctor, so he would have to pay me up front. Unlike most elderly callers, he preferred another source of care, so I gave directions to a local clinic.
A Dog-Eat-Dog Business, Part 4 - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
Danielle, chief concierge of the Ritz-Carlton, called me when her allergies were acting up, but this wasn't the reason. It was an awkward situation, she explained, but she hoped I'd understand. A guest has complained, I thought. I racked my brain to think who it might be.
Something Better Than the Best - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
She had a fourteen hour flight to Australia, explained a woman with a French accent. Unfortunately, she had thrown her back out again. Would I come and give something to relax her muscles for that long journey? Her doctor always prescribed something that did the trick.
An Unwelcome Visitor From the Past
A young man's cough, present for two weeks, had grown worse. He had a fever, and my stethoscope revealed lung noises typical of pneumonia.
The Roger Smith Hotel and the New Working-from-a-Hotel Model
Who is Roger Smith? As the hotel's Director of Marketing and Co-Owner, John Knowles, jocularly explained during our time together, the enigmatic 'Roger' is many things to many people. The personified alias that has given this Midtown Manhattan property its name has always represented a place where great ideas are born and where bold actions are made reality. Now, however, the 136-room Roger Smith Hotel offers an archetypical example of a trendsetting post-COVID adaptation in a major urban center, and hoteliers would be wise to take note.
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
How a Hotel Doctor is Like a Prostitute - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
After 2013 I made over 50 percent of my hotel visits at the request of national housecall agencies, international travel insurers, airlines, and a sprinkling of miscellaneous sources including other hotel doctors. That was fine with me.
A Sad Story - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
The caller was Chinese, and he wanted a medicine. That could mean anything. He gave the name which, through his thick accent, sounded like "desitin," an over-the-counter treatment for diaper rash.
Rashes are Easy, Part 2 - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
His client had developed redness over her eyelids. Could I come?
Rashes are Easy, Part 1 - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
A woman at a Sunset Strip hotel had seen a doctor for an allergic rash, and now she wasn't feeling right. Rashes are easy, and her symptoms were probably medication side-effects, so I expected no problem. That seemed to be the case, and she agreed to stop the medicine.
Googling a Hotel Doctor - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
If you get sick in a local hotel, you might google "hotel doctor" and the city. In Los Angeles my name turns up but only with links to my blog. I don't have a web site. Nor do my long-established competitors.
More Competition - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
A caller from the Airport Hilton asked how much I charged. This is often the first question I hear. If I answer immediately, the guest is likely to thank me and hang up. So my first response is that phone calls are free and might be all he or she needs. What's the problem?....
I Have Syphilis - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
Those were the first words from a young flight attendant in a hotel room as soon as we had exchanged greetings.
A Model for Hotels to Hospitals (H2H ©) During an Unprecedented Era
During the early months of 2020, once it was apparent that the novel coronavirus (COVID19) was a global pandemic, people everywhere started to think of creative solutions to help ease the problems of the virus. One solution was to convert hotels into hospitals (H2H ©) and into housing for healthcare workers. With the virus halting travel, many hotels were left close to vacant. On top of that, many healthcare professionals were worried about traveling back and forth between work and home, at the risk of infecting their household.
By Fred DeMicco, Executive Director (2019-2024), Full Professor in the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management, the W.A. Franke College of Business, Northern Arizona University
I Prefer Vomiting and Diarrhea - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
Two women at the Holiday Inn were ill. The mother suffered low abdominal pain with vomiting and diarrhea. It seemed like the usual stomach flu. I assured her that it wouldn't last long and gave medication.
Long Time No See - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
"Hey, Doctor! It's been a while." I love it when parking valets recognize me. That was the good news. The 'it's been a while' was not so good.
The Reopening of Las Vegas Casinos During the COVID-10 Pandemic
On March 17, 2020, Nevada's Governor Steve Sisolak ordered the closure of Nevada's non-essential businesses and urged residents to implement social-distancing measures to reduce spreading COVID-19. Governor Sisolak authorized certain businesses, including restaurants, barbershops, hair salons, and most retail businesses, to reopen with limitations beginning May 9, 2020, and Nevada began its emergence from the pandemic shutdown. Nevada's casinos were allowed to reopen on June 4, 2020, with restrictions. While the pandemic is far from over, this article examines some of the differences observed in casinos in the Las Vegas market since reopening and what has been learned thus far.
By Shannon Okada, Managing Director of Gaming with HVS, HVS