Hotel offers rooms to families with hospitalized loved ones

This Christmas, Settle Inn & Suites in Overland Park has a special gift for families whose loved ones are in the hospital or hospice care.

The hotel chain will offer free rooms to patients’ family members on Christmas and Christmas Eve.

“The economy is so tough,” said Cherie Chandler, corporate director of sales and marketing for Settle Inn and Suites. “I wouldn’t want to think that a family wouldn’t be able to come because of the cost.”

Chandler said family members who plan to visit a loved one during Christmas can have the hospital or hospice facility call Settle Inn to book a room. Free rooms will be distributed as space allows.

Along with the free room, Chandler plans to provide Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas breakfast for family members. Gifts for children staying will also be available.

“It’s going to be a cost savings because they won’t have to pay for Christmas Eve dinner,” Chandler said.

Settle Inn has provided free rooms to patients’ families during Christmas in previous years.

“We’ve done it for the last three years, but I think this is going to be the biggest year yet,” Chandler said. “In Overland Park this is the first year we’ve really publicized.”

Settle Inn and Suites is part of Crown Group Inc. The hotel chain will provide free rooms at 14 locations, including Fargo, N.D., and Lincoln and Omaha, Neb.

“Our owners are very caring,” Chandler said. “We can make a difference this year more than ever before.”

Chandler said she expects about 80 rooms to be allocated to patients’ families at the Overland Park Settle Inn.

“We are wanting people to take advantage of this,” Chandler said. “The more the merrier.”

Families who have patients in Overland Park Regional Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit could be among those who take advantage of Settle Inn’s free rooms. Infants from throughout the region are transferred to Overland Park Regional.

“We have babies and sometimes moms that are transported all over this area,” said Margaret Meier, director of Overland Park Regional’s NICU. “Some of them stay for weeks or even months.”

Meier said this program will definitely benefit families with infants at the hospital.

“Staying in a hotel is very expensive for these families,” she said. “It’s a very nice service to be provided over the holiday.”

Chandler said Settle Inn will likely continue this program in years to come.

“The staff here is very excited,” she said.

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