A look inside MhM, London's most exclusive private hospital
Holly Golightly used to jump in a cab to Tiffany's when she was suffering from the 'mean reds'. 'Calms me down right away,' she said. 'The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there.'
That fictional free spirit should be given an honorary MD. Today there are screeds of academic papers to back up the truism that uplifting interiors and cosseting service boost feelings of wellbeing. As papers by Roger Ulrich, a professor at the Texas A&M University College of Architecture, report: 'Environmental factors such as exposure to natural light, art, and nature have been shown to reduce stress, enhance mood, and improve recovery times in healthcare settings.'
Most patients' recovery, though, usually takes place in pretty cheerless surroundings. Which is why Memorial Houston Medical (MhM), the American wellness specialist, has launched an outpost in South Kensington. 'We wanted to break that very sterile mould and bring in personal touches,' Danny Shebaclo, its director, says. 'We've put a lot of thought into what the patient rooms look like, so a patient doesn't go through the horrendous white box journey in the recovery process — so they can feel healthier in a shorter period of time.'
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The new art-filled London hospital is on Fulham Road in an art deco-style building once occupied by a Theo Fennell jewellery store. It has space for six patients at a time and specialises in postoperative care, from complex wound management to long-term cancer care. While surgery takes place at partner hospitals such as the Wellington, the Harley Street Clinic and the Royal Brompton, the road to recovery starts at MhM. The facility also offers cosmetic procedures, including eyelid surgeries, brow lifts, microneedling, chemical peels, MYST stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma treatment. So while some clients might have flown into London from around the world for procedures that need lengthy postoperative care, others might be Londoners popping in to freshen up their forehead.
The focus on the clinic's beautiful design, Shebaclo says, is 'to make everyone feel relaxed. We're going back to those roots where people can be treated in a homelike environment in order to increase their wellbeing and speed up their recovery.'
This place is certainly a 'home-like environment' if you are accustomed to five-star hotels such as the Dorchester, where the front-of-house manager, Alberto Colonna, worked and where his team, including nurses, were trained. The attention to detail will be as cosseting as the hotel. Before the patients arrive, Colonna will have researched all their preferences, from nutrition to bath linen. And as well as anticipating their needs, ensuring a calm environment, and liaising with chefs, he will be able to book appointments with a lengthy menu of therapists, on and off site — including specialists in equine therapy.
The interiors and design of the hospital have been equally carefully considered. Bespoke furnishings have been created by the fashion house Elie Saab — who made the chief executive's daughter's wedding dress — in materials from bronzed brass and marble to hand-carved eucalyptus wood. The fine art has been curated by the London-based Ackerman Studios. There are pieces by Andy Warhol and Peter Blake, a surrealist collage by Maria Rivans on the ground floor, and works by Ewan David Eason, a London artist best known for his gilded city maps.
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The clinic entrance features Eason's Blessings — Latin and an Arabic blessings overlaid one on top of the other — and on the vaulted ceiling of the top floor is a map of London in 24-carat gold. It's the largest artwork Eason has created and the largest scale map of London within the UK. 'I'm calling it Sacred Path,' the artist says. 'As you walk into the room, you see this golden Thames on the ceiling. It follows the person who's coming in, flows with them on their journey, and it's a hope that they are going to be ushered along its path towards health.'
In-patient care from £750 a night, memorialhouston.com
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