Objective: To assess healthcare professionals’ perception of care and ambience, from the perspective of humanization references. Method: This is a qualitative study carried out between February and June 2019, with 18 professionals from a medium-sized philanthropic hospital in the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Data were collected with the focus group technique and submitted to content analysis. Results: The two thematic categories Care: from routine to qualified listening; and Ambience: from individuality to interactivity demonstrated complementary understandings. Care is associated with dialogic processes and ambience is related to comfort and to spaces that allow interaction between users, family members and staff. Conclusion: Care and hospital environment go beyond physical improvements and professional or functional bonds. They can induce and enhance health promotion for managers, employees and users. They require, therefore, interactive and dialogic processes with simple gestures, respectful attitudes and motivating and health-enhancing practices.