i have to confess that as of now, the suite at ritz is STILL NOT CONFIRMED. the ritz official line is that they're fully booked up, suites and rooms, because there's some sort of convention going on in town.

so my dad's friends are pulling strings, or rather, attempting to pull strings, in order to get us a suite somehow but on the off chance (or possibly the large chance) that ritz is really out of suites, we'll try to find a suite at one of the nearby hotels -- Oriental, Conrad, Pan Pacific etc.

as a result, the price might go up. i will still try my best to find someplace with a huge-ass corporate discount, but PLEASE do not get upset if we end up having to pay more, since, remember that without the discounts we were earlier prepared to pay up to around $800!!!

really really really sorry, and as i told vivien, if this whole suite thing doesn't work out, we can all come over to my place cos my family will all be out of town and we can save ALL the money and spend it on booze or midnight pizza cravings or whatever.

but since a suite at the ritz is infinitely more exciting than my house, the Search for the Hotel Suite will continue!