We want to go to New York for a weekend

[Anonymous]

and attend an event that our kids are too young to attend (4 and 7). We want to bring them because we don't have family to keep them for a weekend plus they want to see New York. How would I go about arranging safe childcare? We don't really know anyone there. I would need someone to be in the hotel room with them from 7-midnightish. Do hotels do this?

[Anonymous]

I usually call hotels in advance and ask if they do, and usually they don't. I've done care.com before in hotels with success. If that doesn't work or you're not comfortable, I would reach out on fb or some other network and try to find friends of friends who live there. Anyone who has a nanny or a daycare will be able to help. Generally all nannies and daycare ladies babysit. If I still lived there, I'd hook you up with our former daycare ladies, they were the best!

[Anonymous]

nicer hotels usually do this, like the Ritz-Carlton. I would call a few hotels.

[Anonymous]

Most of the fancy NYC hotels use the Babysitters Guild of NYC for sitting services. I have used them a number of times. The childcare was great, and I heard some interesting gossip from the babysitter on some of her recent celebrity jobs. So, that being said, expect good childcare and maybe not so much discretion...

[Anonymous]

What would that cost per hour or for an evening in midtown?

[Anonymous]

Just for a data point, my SIL teaches in early childhood at one of the private schools in the city and I think she's mentioned that she normally gets about $25 an hour for babysitting.

[Anonymous]

We used babysitters guild (through our hotel) for an evening event in midtown. I can't remember the cost exactly but $20-25 per hour seems right.

Generally ritz carltons actually won't arrange for a sitter -- but will provide a list of 4-5 services that they make a legal disclaimer of "not endorsing". Seems to be a company wide policy, I've encountered it at several of their properties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We used babysitters guild (through our hotel) for an evening event in midtown. I can't remember the cost exactly but $20-25 per hour seems right.

Generally ritz carltons actually won't arrange for a sitter -- but will provide a list of 4-5 services that they make a legal disclaimer of "not endorsing". Seems to be a company wide policy, I've encountered it at several of their properties.

This is my experience with Ritzes too, though I haven't been to many. I'm 9:27 and was accustomed to paying $20/hour sometimes plus cab fare (potentially $40 or so).

[Anonymous]

Nanny poppinz has services in most cities.