Free and low-cost lodging near hospitals
Charity houses, patient rates and who to ask first.
Quick answerBefore booking a hotel, ask the hospital's social worker or patient lodging office about charity houses (Ronald McDonald Houses for families of children in hospital, American Cancer Society Hope Lodges for adults in cancer treatment, and the hospitality houses of the Healthcare Hospitality Network) and about hotels with patient rates. Most charity houses need a referral and have waiting lists.
Who to ask first
- The hospital's social worker or patient lodging office. They know the local houses, their rules, and which hotels give a patient rate or run a shuttle.
- Your care team's scheduler, if you'll be there for weeks: some programs hold rooms for their patients.
- Your insurance plan: some plans help with travel and lodging for care far from home. Ask what they cover before you book.
The main kinds of charity lodging
- Ronald McDonald Houses host families of children in hospital, often for a small nightly amount or free. Find a house (RMHC).
- American Cancer Society Hope Lodges give free rooms to adult cancer patients and a caregiver during treatment. Hope Lodge locations.
- Healthcare Hospitality Network houses: independent nonprofit houses near hospitals. Healthcare Hospitality Network.
- Hospital guest houses and hotel programs run by the hospital itself.
- Fisher Houses serve military and veteran families near military and VA medical centers.
Asking a hotel for the patient rate
Call the hotel itself (not a booking site), say you're there for treatment at the hospital, and ask for its medical or hospital rate. For long stays, ask about weekly rates, a room with a kitchen, laundry, a refrigerator for medicines, and whether its shuttle goes to the building you need.
On our hospital pages
Every hospital page lists the charity and hospital houses we find on the map within about 3 miles, before any hotel. The map doesn't know every house, so always ask the hospital too.