John Hopkins area hotels with dogs? and area childcare?

[pocomom]

Hi all, we're waiting to get in a program at John Hopkins with DD 11. (kind of thing when they call us and tell us they have a bed, come now, could be any point weeks away or tomorrow, idk) I'm looking for a hotel near the hospital in Baltimore that takes dogs and has a kitchen. I'll be staying the hospital itself when my dd goes in, but I need to bring the kids and dogs. DH will take as much time off as he can, but at best it will probably mean him working in the hotel room with the kids. So we'll need some child care/pet care for the animals.... If nothing else I guess I could board the dogs, but we have three and one is older so I hate too. Probably would ease some of the stress though.... We're in PA and it is 4+ hours to the hospital, and DH's work is 1.5- 2 hours from home so working out leaving the other kids here, for an undetermined length of time getting passed around, is just not going to work. Affordable is important as this won't be cheap no matter what, but anything that would help makes this go smoother and ease everyone's stress is on the table. Family and friends will come and be in and out, but no one will be able to be there the whole time, especially without knowing when and how long. Any ideas?

 

[katie111]

I would call the hospital for some advice. Most large hospitals have some sort of social worker or community liasion that should be able to help you. I think the 3 dogs will be very tough to find a place for. You may want to start asking around to friends/relatives to see if anyone could take them while you are away. It seems like you are going to have enough on your hands as it is. How old are the other kids? Will they need to be enrolled in school when you go? You could look at Sittercity to try to line up some sitters now. Also check with the hospital on childcare. Some of the major hospitals have in house childcare but I believe sometimes its only for employees' children. How long will you be there for?

Good luck!

 

[jentydoug]

I work for Hopkins. Here is the number and e-mail for Johns Hopkins Accommodations. 410-464-6816, 800-225-2201 (toll free), guestservices@jhmi.edu. Also if you google Johns Hopkins Hospital Hotels there is a link to the hospital website and a link to a PDF of local hotels some will list if they take pets and most offer transportation to the hospital.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Without getting too personal, if your DD is being seen there for a specific disease and there is a research foundation/charity for it you may want to check with them to see if they can offer any assistance. For example, when my son was being treated at Duke for leukemia the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation actually set us up in a small apartment for two weeks until he was hospitalized.

 

[chrissy92972]

When we went to Baltimore back in May for an overnight trip, we stayed at the Homewood Suites it is attached to a Hilton Garden Inn and a movie theater. I know they allowed dogs, they had free breakfast, and weeknight free dinner at the Homewood Part. Rooms had a kitchen. Parking was very expensive though, so I would look for other options besides hotel parking.

Chrissy

 

[DizneyLizzy]

When we went to Baltimore back in May for an overnight trip, we stayed at the Homewood Suites it is attached to a Hilton Garden Inn and a movie theater. I know they allowed dogs, they had free breakfast, and weeknight free dinner at the Homewood Part. Rooms had a kitchen. Parking was very expensive though, so I would look for other options besides hotel parking.

Chrissy

This is in the Harbor East area, which is very close to the hospital and also very safe. It's also on the route for the Charm City Circulator (a free/safe bus!) so you don't have to drive to the hospital if your car is parked at the hotel. The hospital is in a pretty nasty area of the city, so there wouldn't be any hotels in walking distance. Harbor East is pretty much as close as you can get.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

How big are these dogs?

Realistically there are practically no hotels that will let you put three dogs in one hotel room (Sorry!) And most hotels have size limits on the dog. I think you are going to have to find a better option for the dogs (I hate to be Debbie Downer but...)

 

[BeachLove]

With 3 dogs you will most likely not find a hotel. If you get someone to watch 1 or two of them your chances increase. Have you considered renting a home or basement in the area? Hotels will be pricey and renting a home may be much cheaper overall even if you sign a longer lease.

 

[sherreis]

The other issue about dogs in a hotel is that sometimes there are requirements that they are not allowed to be left alone in the room.


Good luck with DD.

 

[horseshowmom]

When we went to Baltimore back in May for an overnight trip, we stayed at the Homewood Suites it is attached to a Hilton Garden Inn and a movie theater. I know they allowed dogs, they had free breakfast, and weeknight free dinner at the Homewood Part. Rooms had a kitchen. Parking was very expensive though, so I would look for other options besides hotel parking.

Chrissy

This is in the Harbor East area, which is very close to the hospital and also very safe. It's also on the route for the Charm City Circulator (a free/safe bus!) so you don't have to drive to the hospital if your car is parked at the hotel. The hospital is in a pretty nasty area of the city, so there wouldn't be any hotels in walking distance. Harbor East is pretty much as close as you can get.

Homewood Suites are very comfortable with full kitchens and a living room. I like to stay with them since they do accept pets. It's really helpful to have the free hot breakfast, and the evening dinners can sure help save on meal costs (not to mention the kitchen). When you factor breakfast and dinner in (although it's generally only during the week), that cuts down on the room cost. They very well may have a hospital rate. Sometimes the 2BR/2BA rate isn't much more than the 1BR if you can find the right rate.

 

[disfan07]

In reality, i think you are going to have to board the dogs.

We are probably going to Mayo Clinic in June. We have two dogs and we already have a 2 week reservation for them at the kennel which we will extend if necessary. My dad probably won't be coming with us but he works an hour from home from 5AM-7PM and my brother works 90 minutes away even longer hours and there are times when my dad ends up working even longer. Both of my dogs are older (one is 13 and the other is 9) but its better for them to be in the kennel getting fed on a regular schedule and exercise everyday than being home and possibly being left for 12 hours a day.

Childcare......this could be a little difficult also. My advice would be to call Hopkins. How old are the kids? The thing is, most hospitals are not equipped to care for siblings but they might be able to point you in a direction for Childcare. They have probably dealt with this before and they are probably your best bet for information.


Have you asked about Ronald McDonald house? They are located closer to university of Maryland medical center but might be an option.

And I just remembered this option. There is a place called Children's House.
It's Believe in Tomorrow Children's House at Johns Hopkins. It's meant for patients and families being treated at Hopkins Children's Center. You have to have a medical office coordinator or licensed Clinical social worker fill out the necessary forms and you cannot self refer for the housing.

That might be an option you'd want to consider.

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

Kennel the dogs.

Look into Ronald McDonald house, that is what they are for. Your husband will have to watch the kids though, they do not babysit.

 

[SwimBikeRun]

Get on the list for the Ronald McDonald house now if you can. They are often booked solid and the wait can be weeks depending on the house.

I have found the social workers to be very helpful. Do not be afraid to ask for things and be specific. The more specific you are the sooner you will get help for what you need.

Best of luck to your whole family and especially your daughter!

 

[foreUT]

Not specific to your situation, OP, but I travel a lot and always have my two dogs with me. I stay in LaQuinta and have seen several guests over the years with three dogs. However, I never the leave my pets in the room alone.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I just went to bringfido.com - it allows you to search for hotels that accept pets.

I did a search for Baltimore and restricted it to multiple pets. I think maybe, from the listings, the Brookshire Hotel may be what the OP wants. The hotel is in a safe location, is a bit run down at the heels (as per Tripadvisor) but allows multiple pets and isn't pricey. The rooms are pretty large as well. For childcare, I'd see if the Hopkins social workers can steer you in the direction of something.

http://www.brookshiresuites.com/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60811-d89327-Reviews-Brookshire_Suites-Baltimore_Maryland.html

If that hotel doesn't work out, OP, try bringfido.com along with Tripadvisor.com - you should find something that will work out.

 

[antmaril]

I spent 15 days in Baltimore when my late husband was having major surgery at Johns Hopkins. I stayed in a two bedroom (my brother-in-law was with me) at the Residence Inn Inner Harbor. The room had two bathrooms, living room and a full kitchen. I don't know about the dogs (I would kennel them), but the Residence Inn was perfect for us. They offer special rates to JH patients and there was a shuttle service to the hospital. I usually took a cab due to timing and it was a short cab ride.

There was a CVS around the corner and a Subway and a McDonald's in the area. It was two blocks to the Inner Harbor.

The Residence Inn included a nice breakfast buffet and evening snacks and drinks. The staff is accustomed to patients and their families staying there and are very kind and accommodating.

Good luck. Your daughter will be in good hands at Johns Hopkins. It is an amazing place.

 

[pocomom]

Thank you all for the helpful information regarding the hotels. I didn't realize the hospital would have services to help with this either. DD has a very unusual cardiac/metabolic situation, she may be the only person with her particulars, so there is no foundation for her. She is healthy right now, but they expect that untreated she would have a heart attack or more likely stroke by her late teens, which we are obviously trying to avoid. Her regular pediatric cardiologist is out of ideas which is why we are heading to JH's.
I think we'll take the older dog with us. He is exceptionally well behaved, doesn't bark and is 14. Most of the time I think someone will be in the hotel with him. The younger two are a little more like normal dogs and I wouldn't leave them unsupervised. If we do bring them, we would probably get two rooms anyway, typically the maxium is 2 per room and they are under the wieght limits for most places that take dogs. The other kids are 7 and 3. We homeschool so school isn't an issue. Childcare will still be, but perhaps JH's will have some ideas. Thanks again!

 

[mom2alix]

Perhaps not ideal, but have you considered hiring a nanny to stay with the other children/dogs at your home? If you are going to be paying for childcare anyway, the other children and pets might be more comfortable staying in their familiar surroundings with a caregiver who can keep them on their normal routine. This would also allow you to concentrate on your daughter and the care she is receiving at Hopkins. www.care.com is a great website for finding caregivers. They have background checks, reference checks, etc.

Good luck and hope Hopkins is able to help your dd get healthy!

 

[DebMcDonald]

Definitely call the hospital, I work at Mass General in Boston and we often have people come from out of state, we even have hospital affilated hotels in the area for discounts for the patient's families.

Forgot to mention that we also have what is referred to as "backup childcare" here at the hospital and patient's families as well as employees both have access to this center.

I think the hospital directly might be the best option for all these answers.

 

[Quicklabs]

Google Pet Sitters International and see who is available in your area. We found a great sitter this way. My two Labradors are very happy to be cared for in their own home, and with three dogs, this may be even a more economical option than a kennel.