SAN FRANCISCO – Veterans traveling long distances for their medical appointments at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, or SFVAMC, will now be able to enjoy new temporary accommodations at the facility’s recently opened Hoptel.

The new building (Building 22), which opened on Aug. 10, is the third hoptel located at the medical center.

The six-room, double-occupancy hoptel comes at an opportune time as one of the other Hoptels (Building 10) is temporarily closed while it undergoes seismic retrofitting. SFVAMC can now accommodate 29 veterans at its Hoptels in Buildings 9 and 22.

The new hoptel in Building 22 features double-occupancy rooms with a private bathroom, television, desk space, and lockers to store personal belongings. Each room is decorated with artwork depicting beautiful San Francisco scenery.

A welcoming front check-in desk and lobby greets veterans to the hoptel, while a common lounge area and a quiet reading nook provides places for Veterans to relax.

In addition to the completion of the new hoptel Building 22, important and necessary seismic work was recently completed on hoptel Building 9. Similar improvements are currently under way on hoptel Building 10. Once completed, a total of 49 beds among the three buildings will be available for overnight stays.

Veterans from all over the state and country come to SFVAMC to receive their health care. They may come for routine appointments; to receive specialty care at one of our National Centers of Excellence specializing in epilepsy treatment, cardiac surgery, post-traumatic stress disorder, HIV or renal dialysis; or to access any number of our first-class health care services.

The hoptel program offers veterans traveling more than 75 miles for their appointments at SFVAMC a convenient, clean, comfortable and secure place to stay while receiving their health care. Thirty-seven percent of San Francisco VA Health Care System Veterans travel from outside of the catchment area to receive care while 64 percent live north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

“We are honored to serve our Nation’s Veterans while providing top-quality medical care,” said Kim Babcock, associate chief of social work. “It’s an honor that veterans choose us for their care and are willing to travel more than 75 miles due to relationships and care our VA providers offer.”

On average, the hoptel receives approximately 5,000 veteran stays each year. Assuming an average cost of $120 per night to stay in the area, the savings in lodging costs totals $600,000 for veterans receiving care at SFVAMC.

Veterans seeking to use the hoptel Program should contact their referring SFVAMC Specialty Clinic for requests to stay at the hoptel, or call 415-221-4810, Extension 2-2528 or 2-2529 for more information.

Service animals are welcome, but if you’re traveling with additional family members or a caregiver, they recommend you make hotel reservations in the area. The hoptel can provide a list of locations.