Those who request high floors are probably in hotels that are in an area with a lot of traffic noise...then it's understandable why they would request a higher floor...otherwise, I don't know what all the hoopla is about when it comes to staying on a high floor.And most of the folks I know...the west coast friends... are not into the high floor thing either...but my New York/New Jersey friends are more into it since they live in huge, tall, buildings with a lot of people. I've never lived in such and am used to being no higher than 2 stories up when it comes to living somewhere... so...if it's good enough to live in then it's good enough to stay in while on vacation!In hotels floors 5-7 are fine with me. Happy Travels!

kuranosuke- they have a huge lunch buffet which includes the sushi. I paid in baht -- in fact I think I've always paid in baht. And the restaurant seems to have a lot of thais eating in it.

It has been my exprience that most (not all) women have a lot of bathroom stuff- makeup, hair stuff, etc and need a lot of shelf space for it all as well as great lighting (when fixing their hair and makeup). Also they really appreciate those magnifying mirrors. Now my wife takes a long time to "get ready" so she spends a fair amount of time in the bathroom. In my travels this is not uncommon and the older they get they seem to need a wee bit more time to prep.(I'm not complaining here!) So when I book a room the bathroom better be a)spotless, b) big and well lighted. Otherwise I'm in the dog house!

I do have a lot of "stuff" because I'm highly allergic so never use hotel products (soaps etc) no matter how good they are so I do like a decent amount of counter space but it;s not a deal breaker for me -- the Oriental has a lot of space. But I never wear make up during the day and probably only 30% of the evenings at most and I'm 59. Actually wore it more often when I was younger. I tend to spend about 4-5 minutes max getting ready in a bathroom and 2 of those is brushing my teeth. So I guess I'm not a typical female, Bill. :-) Now on my last trip my friend would not open the door without full make up and she traveled with a suitcase full of stuff for her face. So the opposite of me. She loved the Oriental bathroom. But to be fair, she may have loved the Pen's bathroom even more. :-)

I was at work all day and come home to this! People, this is getting a bit out of control. We are talking about HOTELS! Who cares what other people like? It's not like any of us make any money on it when someone stays in either the Pen or Oriental. I haven't seen this much passion since Bush v Gore.

For the record, I like big bathrooms and high floors ;-)

One more thing, sushi is safe in BKK. Just make sure the place is clean and the fish is fresh and doesn't have an odor. I've been eating sushi for more than 30 years and have had it all over the world, never got sick from it.

Laurie-- and none is as important as the fact that Marshall Fields will now be called Macey's. :-

Really?? I haven't heard that. I'm a big Macy's shopper but have never been to Marshall Fields. Are they any good?

Oh, great...another Macy's take over...just what we need... yuck...another good excuse for having clothing custom made abroad as not to end up looking like a cookie-cutter Stepford wife...fashion/clothing creativity is going down the toilet with the Tidy Bowl man! Everything (and body) is starting to look the same. Variety...and the spice of life... went out the window when Macy's bought out Bullocks...for those of you who are on the west coast. I feel so much better now that I've blown off that steam! Happy Travels!

Craig said it all -- an endless nonsensical debate. YAWN.

Gee, I always wanted to have my fashion sense insulted on a public forum.

i'm a ross shopper myself.

laurieco, you've had sushi all over the world! wow, sounds like you have the adventurous spirit to have the crab curry at my favorite mobile seafood restaurant in chinatown. let me know when you plan to go, and i will see if i can get you the best table in the house, right on the corner of the curb.(honest).

btw, whats the count? p or o.

i'm sticking to no raw fish products in thailand....!!!! period....ken you may be right, but it is the same principle....

i think i will try this next time in lord jim...."sir, may i smell that fish before you cut it up and make the sushi?? no, but this is the oriental where everything is done for the customer....who cares if you then have to throw away that whole piece of tuna that cost 100,000 B....i am the customer....the penn will let me smell it!!!!!"

enough of this foolishness....end this thread!!!

bob, i'm with you, lets end this thread, but, i still want to see the count....p or o????

ks, whats the count?

kuranosuke, when I make my plans for BKK in the spring, I'll let you know and I expect that good table. Do I need to wear reflectors so cars won't hit me? ;-0 Is this the place mentioned in Bangkok 8? Perhaps if you're in town, you can join us.

Sushi is safe or not safe anywhere in the world. A good restaurant will make sure it's fresh, the key to good sushi. You can get sick from food anywhere. I've gotten ill from eggs that I've bought at my local grocer and cooked myself so you just never know. (and no bad cooking jokes Bob, I can feel one coming!) Contrary to popular belief, a lot of "raw" sushi and sashami is actually cooked, it's extremely difficult to get raw salmon, even in Japan. Sometimes it's cured (like lox), and eel is almost always cooked. Sushi just means it's over rice, sashami is not over rice. I prefer sashami, especially tuna. In fact, the only way I will eat tuna is as sushi or sashami, won't touch it out of a can or as a steak.

Who's winning? Who cares. Let's call it a draw. But let's not kid ourselves, in a few weeks someone else will post an "Oriental or Pen?" and the debate will begin again.

was that eric i saw at the "old man's club" earlier in the week??

He was the one in the corner playing shuffleboard.

have you read any other of his books?? i have one on order

wow I don't remember seeig a thread make such a 180 degree turn Pen vs ori - sushi - marshel fields.

- I seriously wish I could stay at both of these hotels so that I could make some relavent comments..

----
karan. lol, it was durring the "The great bkk sushi debate" of a couple of years ago. where I remember first meeting you.. I see that isue is still festering.

FYI- the Foleys department stores here in Houston will be converted to Macy's!
My wife prefers Ross/TJ Max and Marshalls- (hey we can't all afford custom made clothes!). She is not a Stepford wife either- she is a smart shopper- gets the same name brand clothes but at a much reduced price- just like the ads say!
The Penn vs. Oriental debates are fun- I surmise even Gloria looks forward to the friendly banter! For those of you bored with it all- there is a simple cure- skip opening the post!