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report of a vist to the Hotel Pennsylvania, NYC
As promised, I stopped by the Hotel Pennsylvania this afternoon. It
was lovely day in Manhattan and no inconvenience since the errands I was doing took me right past the front door. I wish I could report that I accomplished a lot - but I think I got enough information to satisfy the recent questions of, is it a fleabag or a grand experience. I could not speak with anyone at the front desk because when I arrived around 1PM the lobby was jammed with people and there were perhaps 50 people in a line for check-in. I was not about to get into that line. I have a birthday coming in two weeks and hope to be home again before then. But I did find the head of security (all ex-cops look alike) and he suggested I use the house phone to call the Manager - whose name he either did not know or would not say. The hotel operator had the same problem. Did not have a name for the manager. It took three tries, phones just ringing off into nowhere, to connect me to someone who answered, "This is the office. Please hold." Of course, I was not put on hold. That's not the way these things work. You have to be disconnected and redial at least once to prove the sincerity of your intention and the urgency of your purpose. I've dealt with hotels, airlines, government offices and girl-friends who did not accept my sincerity until at least the third call. I remember back in the 1960s there was this blue-eyed blonde in Jackson Mississippi, named Rosa Lee. She'd hang up on me three or four times but it was worth every one of those humiliating incidents when she would finally say "Yes." Her "yes" extended across the entire length of three excruciatingly, sensuous syllables ..."yee - ay - us" and by time she was done, so was I. This was before the jet plane and network television totally destroyed and flattened all regional accents. Back then, when a girl in Mississippi said "yee-ay-us" you knew something was about to happen that you would remember the rest of you life. I'm 70 years old - and I do. But I digress. On my first callback from the lobby phone I got a signal that I would yet speak with someone. This came in the form of, "This is Cynthia in the Office. Please Hold." Same voice, but this time I got a name. Those of you wise in these encounters will recognize that it is highly unusual to be offered a name without asking for it. That it may be a phony name is irrelevant. The secret message is, "I will yet speak with you." About three minutes later Cynthia, or whoever she really is, came back on the line. I explained the purpose of my visit was to see a room of the type that would be available. "We can't do that. The manager is the only one who can show you a room and he is out to lunch . . . No, I don't know what time he'll be back .. . . His name? . . . I just told you, he's not here. . . . Renovated rooms? . . . I don't know want you are asking about . . . we have two kinds of rooms, "standard" and "superior." This nomenclature of "standard" and "superior" for hotel rooms is similar to Starbucks and BurgerKing who claim to have only Large, Very Large and Super-Large. I think these terms of puffery were invented by the same advertising writers who are responsible for the text in all these penile enhancement spams - not that *I* need any, thank you. Returning to "Cynthia" "Cynthia, I was told that there are rooms that have been renovated and that if one asked for one, you can avoid getting one of the older rooms." She did not seem to take offense at my using the vulgar term "older rooms." Cynthia is obviously a lady not easily rattled by uncouthly stated questions. "Yes . . . we did renovate some rooms. Not all at the same time. We did a few a month until we had what we needed . . . When? . . . Oh about 6 years ago. . . Yes, that's what I said . . . our renovated rooms were done 6 years ago . . . No, we haven't renovated any since then. . . Well if your friends want one of those, you probably will not get it over the Internet because the ones offered on the Internet are usually the "standard" rooms . . . You're very welcome. Have a nice day." And I did. I went to one of the few stores left in all of Manhattan that specializes in nothing but good quality men's hats. Brought me a comfortable Australian-made, wide-brimmed, crushable kangaroo leather number to replace the one I left on the bus last month. Then I went to Chinatown and had the best damned late-afternoon lunch at the "XO", a little place on a side street away from the tourist crush of Canal Street. I'm often the only non-Chinese in there. Had a stunning meal for $7.50. Chunks of fresh fish of all kinds, including lobster, scallops, shrimp and some but I couldn't recognize. The fish was first grilled and then packed into a lotus leaf filled with rice and spices about the size of a kids football and steamed inside a bamboo basket until the flavors were blended. When the leaf is opened and the aromas escape, you know that God speaks Mandarin. Then I went over to Canal and bought a fairly good copy of a famous brand watch. It just didn't have the famous brand on it. The original would go for about $30/50. The street stand seller wanted $14. We settled on $7.00. It replaced one almost identical I'd bought in that neighborhood for $8 back around 1990. Damn thing only last 14 years. Strapping it on, I then walked all the way back up to the 42nd St Port Authority Terminal and caught the bus that gets me to my front door in 30 minutes flat. This time I did not forget my hat. Bottom line. I suggest that Shawn and his wife stay in any other place but the Hotel Pennsylvania unless they can count on having the rest of their day turn out as pleasant as mine. Save the crap shooting for Las Vegas. CaribeJoe - Moderator Non-commercial My Caribbean.Info Forums Free Caribbean Destination Directories Free advice from Travel Writers Post your own trip reports and photos Hotel and Air Deals and Rough Guide Reports http://www.mycaribbean.info --multiplaza.nl.nu-- |
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report of a vist to the Hotel Pennsylvania, NYC
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report of a vist to the Hotel Pennsylvania, NYC
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report of a vist to the Hotel Pennsylvania, NYC
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report of a vist to the Hotel Pennsylvania, NYC
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