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Post-acute rehab is a critical step in recovery from an injury or illness, but the experiences can vary widely from big rehab hospitals to skilled nursing facilities.

Ignite Medical Resorts takes a different approach in matching short-term, rapid rehabilitation with “uncompromising luxury.”

In many ways, Ignite’s McHenry location feels more like a hotel than a medical facility. The spacious lobby comes with ample natural light, plush couches, fireplaces, even a “living wall” that’s covered in plants. A Starbucks coffee stand serves light bites.

“It’s bright, sunny, lots of windows and high ceilings. We wanted it to feel very natural, home-like and comfortable,” says Mat Thengil, chief therapy officer and partner. “When you’re in a rehab hospital, it feels sterile, with white walls everywhere. This is the opposite.”

Out of the facility’s 84 beds, 60 are private suites with a bathroom, an electric fireplace, a dresser, a minifridge and a TV. The square-shaped building comes with a landscaped courtyard and small lounges in each wing. The spacious dining room has a wide menu.

“I think dining is so underappreciated when it comes to health care,” says Thengil, an occupational therapist who’s spent 22 years in his field. “People get sick, they go to the hospital and then in post-acute rehab they assume they’ll just eat whatever they’re given. We wanted to take that up a couple of notches.”

It may sound like fun and games, but the reality is that physical recovery is just as important as emotional and social wellness, says Thengil.

“If you were in the patient’s shoes, would you want to share a room with another patient or would you want your own?” he says. “Would you like the luxury of going to Starbucks in the morning and getting a cappuccino? We have that here. Do you want your therapy to be seven days a week? We do that here.”

The therapy gym is a bright, sunny spot that’s filled with tools to help someone recover from orthopedic injuries, strokes, heart attacks, lung diseases and other acute illnesses. They often come with multiple health concerns and a range of barriers to overcome.

Inside the therapy gym, they find a range of high-tech tools, some of them built with the same technology that helps pro athletes recover. The OmniVR uses an Xbox Kinect to work different muscle groups. The Synchrony uses electrodes to measure one’s swallowing ability, while the Biodex helps to improve balance. And, there’s the game-changing Andago, which uses robotic controls and harnesses to safely help a person walk again.

“One of our biggest feats came when we had a stroke victim with left-sided weakness who was unable to walk,” says Karolina Triana, director of rehabilitation in McHenry. “After a year of using this on an inpatient and outpatient basis we got her walking. It was incredible.”

Inside the life skills area, patients practice a variety of everyday tasks, from doing laundry and cooking dinner to walking through a front door. The team of 14 therapists will also conduct community and home assessments, to ensure a patient can safely return to their lives.

The technology and tools at Ignite’s McHenry location demonstrate the same level of care you’ll find at any of the company’s more than 20 facilities in the Midwest and Texas. In addition to centers in Mundelein, Lisle, Aurora and northwest Indiana, Ignite is building a new facility in Batavia.

“I think the biggest takeaway is that advanced technology does not have to exist only in rehab hospital settings like Shirley Ryan AbilityLab,” says Thengil. “You can find the same high-quality experience right here at Ignite Medical Resort.”