Travel Crib or Rental?

[ntrainer]

My husband, daughter, and I are traveling to Philadelphia in a month to attend his sister's wedding and JUST found out that our hotel's idea of a "crib" is actually a Pack 'n Play. How do hotels get away with this??? Our daughter is a year old and WAY too big to sleep in a Pack 'n Play.

Anyway, I'm looking for suggestions about what to do. I know that Baby's Away doesn't have a branch in Philly, so I can't rent a crib with them. If anyone knows of a rental agency in suburban Philadelphia (or even nearby New Jersey... we'll be in Lansdale for those of you who know where that is), I'd love to know. I can't seem to find one on the internet. Or, alternatively, does anyone have a suggestion for a "portable" crib to buy? We're driving from the D.C. area up to Philly, so we could just throw a portable crib in our car, if it was truly portable.

Nancy

Mom to Rachel, born 5/24/04

[nfowife]

I know that Pack 'N Plays have a weight limit of a 30 lbs. on the bottom- my nephew sleeps in his regularly when traveling and he's a year and a half old. Are you thinking of the bassinett attachment?

[ntrainer]

No, I'm not thinking of the bassinet. And Rachel is barely 19 lbs., so it's not a weight issue... it's a height issue. She just doesn't have enough room to move around in a Pack 'n Play and is miserable sleeping in one. We tried to have her sleep in a Pack 'n Play about 3 months ago -- when presumably she was at least a bit shorter -- and she wailed when going to sleep, woke up 5 times during the night... we just don't want a replay of that. And truly, it was the Pack 'n Play, not the fact that she was "on the road." This baby's been to Israel and back and slept FINE in an Israeli crib. But she slept HORRIBLY in a Pack 'n Play in Connecticut.

Nancy

Mom to Rachel, born 5/24/04

[daniele_ut]

Hotels that don't have Pack N Plays generally have travel cribs that actually provide LESS room than a PNP! The La Quinta Inn we stayed at in Phoenix gave us a metal travel crib that had high sides and was quite small. Plus, they just wrapped full size bed sheets around it instead of a fitted sheet.

[amp]

PNP's at hotels are pretty darned common. It's the only thing we've ever had when staying at a hotel. Fortunately for us, that's what we prefer, and would bring our own if that's not what they offered.

Did you google "renting baby equipment" or something similar w/ the name of the city or state?

Another option would be to post a desperate ISO for BBB members who live in that area and have one to loan or know of a place to rent/borrow.

Good luck figuring it all out!