With floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the lush greenery of Lion Rock, the private room on the 11th floor of Union Hospital in Tai Wai boasts all manner of luxurious amenities.
A massage chair, flat-screen television, a remote control for your air conditioner and blinds - nothing in the room suggests this is a place where patients recover from surgery. All the tubes, suction and oxygen pumps, and other medical equipment are hidden behind cabinets mounted on the wall.
'Such design ingenuity can help patients forget that they are in a hospital,' says Cheng Sze-man, nursing officer of Union Hospital's private ward. 'Having a nice environment to rest in also speeds the recovery process.'
The private hospital is among several that have set up luxury wards to cater to the rising number of affluent patients.
Private hospital administrators say the establishment of luxurious private wards can help diversify their businesses and satisfy the big demand for superb hospital care from well-to-do mainland, overseas and local patients.
Of the 12 private hospitals in Hong Kong, eight feature luxury wards. Most of these made their foray into the luxury market in recent years. The latest to jump on the bandwagon is St Teresa's Hospital in Prince Edward, which opened its luxury ward last year.
Located on the seventh floor of the hospital's main block, the ward has 22 private rooms and two suites, which cost more than HK$20 million to build. Private rooms start from HK$3,000 to HK$4,000 per night; suites, which occupy half the floor, cost HK$11,000 to HK$15,000 per night.