The Lord Baltimore Hotel has earned both GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, and GHA WellHotel Accreditation for Medical Travel from Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA).
This means the property is the first in the United States to achieve the joint accreditation, ensuring that it complies with cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention standards, as well as customer experience and safety protocols specific to the needs and expectations of medical travel guests.
The Lord Baltimore Hotel is an iconic property in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, combining late 1920’s architecture and grace with a modern, private club aesthetic. Towering over the Baltimore skyline at 23 stories high with 440 guest rooms, the hotel offers more than 20,000 sq. ft of meeting, banquet, and event space. Since 1982, it has been listed on the US National Register of Historic Places. Located in the vicinity of Johns Hopkins Medical Center and other top US hospitals, the hotel offers packages and services that meet the unique needs and expectations of medical travel guests.
Patricia Olinger, Executive Director, GBAC, said: “Hotel cleanliness and safety is of the utmost importance for guests traveling to receive healthcare. This joint accreditation assures guests that their wellbeing is a top priority while staying at the Lord Baltimore Hotel.”
Prior to the pandemic, the medical tourism industry was valued by VISA and Oxford Economics at$100bn with a projected growth rate of up to 25% year-over-year for the next 10 years. Despite the slowed growth due to COVID-19, medical travel is returning due to pent-up demand for healthcare services.
Karen Timmons, GHA CEO, added: “While concern for hotel cleanliness increased worldwide during the pandemic, medical travellers have always experienced unique health and safety needs. Our partnership with GBAC STAR ensures that hotels meet the highest standards of cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention and can alleviate concerns for guests underdoing healthcare treatment.”
Onahlea Shimunek, General Manager of the Lord Baltimore Hotel, commented: “We are proud to be the first hotel in the United States to achieve the prestigious GBAC STAR/GHA WellHotel Accreditation for Medical Travel. This accreditation provides assurance to guests and companions seeking medical treatment at top hospitals in the Baltimore area, that we have implemented protocols to meet their unique needs pre- and post-treatment.
“Additionally, the accreditation gives our guests confidence that we comply with internationally recognised hotel cleaning and hygiene standards.”
