I'm a meat and potatoes kind of guy, but our guests have very diverse, multicultural and sophisticated tastes, so our chefs are always looking for ways to stay ahead of the latest food trends.

Food and beverage has always been a big focus for all our Marriott brands.  Thai food is particularly popular in this day and age, so last Wednesday, associates and guests at more than 100 of our hotels and offices around the world participated in a really unique event.

We all tried to set the Guinness World Record for the largest Thai dinner party.  Thousands of people from all corners of the world sat down to enjoy a delicious Thai meal.  So, while we called this a dinner party, for some of us in the United States, it was more like breakfast or lunch due to time differences around the world.

I ate my Thai meal in the cafeteria at our headquarters.  I had Thai tilapia with ginger. Ginger is commonly used to flavor many Thai dishes, but it is also very healthy – so a dish that is both tasty and good for you!  Our Asian team was hoping to bring more awareness to Thailand as a travel destination and to highlight our wonderful hotels in that part of the world.

While Bangkok has endured some political protests that discouraged tourists, that's over with now and I can't think of a more interesting and exciting place to visit.  It is a beautiful nation with an incredibly diverse landscape – from the mountainous north to the pristine beaches in the south – you're always greeted by warm and smiling faces no matter where you go.  The Thai people are very welcoming and wonderful.  Our Ritz-Carlton Reserve property in Thailand is spectacular and was recently featured on the cover of Travel and Leisure Magazine.

As for the largest dinner party, we're still gathering the numbers to see if we broke the world record.  But, no matter what the outcome is, I thought it was really neat to be able to participate in such a unique event.

I'm Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move.