A hospital or a 4 star hotel?

I get it...labor and delivery is a money making operation. Hospitals in an urban area are in competition for business.

Last night we went on our first hospital tour. It was the University of Washington Medical Center (a large teaching hospital near our house). Our current OB is through the UW, and we wanted to check out the birthing facility there. It seemed fine to me. It looked like a hospital. The birthing rooms were big (with jacuzzi tubs, tv/dvd, free wireless, and a daybed for the dad), they have a 1:1 nurse to patient ratio, they have a great NICU attached (in case there are any problems) and the staff seemed friendly. I like our OB, I like the hospital.

My best friend is a NICU nurse at a hospital 45 minutes north of Seattle. She said that the hospital we toured is OK, but she said it's not the "nicest" place as far as the rooms go. She did say she thought it was a good hospital to be at if any complications were to come up. She suggested we visit another hospital (Swedish) in the city that she thinks has nicer rooms.

Several people we know rave about this other hospital on the eastside (Evergreen). They think that hospital is the best hospital in the area to have a baby. Sure they have posh remodeled rooms, but the amenities are the exact same as the teaching hospital (it's just the teaching hospital rooms look like hospital rooms as opposed to a 4 star hotel). I could care less about fancy decorated rooms. It's a hospital! Besides, if I were to deliver at the fancy suburban hospital I'd have to switch to an OB near that facility. Since I live and work in the city, I prefer to not have a traffic laden commute each time I have an appt. My best friend has also told me that she knows from co-workers that used to work in Evergreen's NICU, they do not have very good protocol for various types of situations. If a problem were to come up, I don't want my baby at a NICU that isn't on par with other area hospitals.

I was at a get-together recently and there were two pregnant women there who were talking about the various hospitals and they both thought that Evergreen was so great because it's so newly remodeled. Seriously?! I am more concerned with having good doctors than a nice room.