Upgrade to a luxury suite...at the hospital

A stay at the hospital is not a good time, and never brings to mind words like "luxurious" and "upscale." After all it's a hospital, not a four-star hotel...or is it?

More and more hospitals across the nation are embracing a new idea of medical care with amenities like high-thread-count sheets, suite-sized rooms, and nice china. Luxury hospital rooms and services have been widely available in Europe for some time now, and although they've been available here in the U.S. until recently they were all but a secret known only to the rich and famous.

That's not to say you don't still have to be rich, however. Obviously all hospitals differ, but if you're looking for a marble bathroom and a stocked mini-fridge you're gonna have to pay a pretty penny. Insurance will usually cover the costs associated with a standard room, and the patient is then stuck with the difference out-of-pocket -- which could range anywhere from $200 to $1500 a night.