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[QUOTE=SE Asia Joe; 1440974]...
The best of luck to you Herr Giotto. In whatever new endeavor you are now embarking upon.
...
[/QUOTE]SEAJ,
Thanks!
BTW, I know that you are keen to get those "Naugahyde" chairs, but the new owner opted to keep them. He loves them :) .
Giotto
All the best, Giotto, for your new chapter of life!
[QUOTE=Giotto; 1440811]All,
Thanks for all your support over the last 9 years. It was great meeting you.
Giotto (retired since 01. 07. 2013)
[URL]http://www.livingstoneslodge.com[/URL][/QUOTE]Sad to see you go my friend, I have many fond memories and relationships from Livingstone Lodge.
Aloha my friend,
A former pool guy
[QUOTE=Giotto; 1441133]T1234,
As everybody will have noticed I have reduced the activities on the ISG already years ago. Soi 33 was dying, an ongoing process for years now, and there was nothing we could do to run our concept successfully. Now. Soi 33 is definitely dead.
Room 206. The building with this room does not exist any more, for 3 years already. A bar (Moulin Rouge) was built next to our building. The outcome was that the floor was vibrating from too loud music coming from that bar. Nobody could sleep in those rooms any more...[/QUOTE]All the best, you have been a great help to lot of people and I must say you ran the place on your principles.
Alles Gute und auf Wiedersehen
[QUOTE=Giotto; 1440811]Giotto (retired since 01. 07. 2013)
[URL]http://www.livingstoneslodge.com[/URL][/QUOTE]Congratulations and Good luck!
[QUOTE=Giotto; 1441133]T1234,
As everybody will have noticed I have reduced the activities on the ISG already years ago. Soi 33 was dying, an ongoing process for years now, and there was nothing we could do to run our concept successfully. Now. Soi 33 is definitely dead.
Room 206. The building with this room does not exist any more, for 3 years already. A bar (Moulin Rouge) was built next to our building. The outcome was that the floor was vibrating from too loud music coming from that bar. Nobody could sleep in those rooms any more.
That's only one of numerous set-backs we experienced since around 2009.
Giotto[/QUOTE]I was visited the Lodge this past May for ten nights. You and the staff are to be commended for establishing a great boutique resort hotel in the middle of a major metropolis. With all the hotels in the city, yours was my first choice. I realize the the surrounding business is now on the down swing, but the location is superb. Close to everything. Please, thank the house staff. Always felt welcome. Good luck to everyone at the Livingstone's Lodge.
Thank You.
[QUOTE=Bionicman;1441206]All the best, Giotto, for your new chapter of life![/QUOTE]Bionicman,
Thanks, all the best to you, too.
I got a lot of mails / PMs yesterday. To answer one of the most asked questions:
I will stay in Bangkok, I bought a small condo here (258 sqm :) ) , and I build a "House on the River" in Ayutthaya (a bit bigger :) ). Life is really bad :) :) !
As for my professional career: I will not do anything for a year or so, just relax, finalize the renovation and construction, buy furniture and discover some good restaurants (never had really time for that). And - I will check out the high end discos, clubs and massage parlors - those places, where the beautiful Thai working girls have moved to. Then - in a year or two - this will get boring, and I will start something new. No idea what. But something will come up.
[b]To all who want to keep in contact with me:[/b]
PM me your name and E-Mail address. I will create a group of "Undisclosed Recipients" in Outlook, and send news from time to time, that we stay in contact. Then, whenever you come to Bangkok, you can send a mail to me and we can then meet up here somewhere for a coffee or a beer. I can then brief you about the changes that have taken place in the Bangkok Nightlife (... that I know about).
B-Man, don't forget Singapore. Once in my life I want to do that one ... :)
Giotto
There will only be one Giotto. Best of Luck.
Weird One
[QUOTE=Giotto; 1441588]And. I will check out the high end discos, clubs and massage parlors. Those places, where the beautiful Thai working girls have moved to. Then. In a year or two. This will get boring, and I will start something new. No idea what. But something will come up.
B-Man, don't forget Singapore. Once in my life I want to do that one. Giotto[/QUOTE]It looks we are loosing an hotel host but might re-gain forum member in full activity.
S'pore: give me notice in due time and I can arrange, but I need really early notice as it is in high demand (ah ah ah you guys stop wondering what this is all about. I AM NOT a pimp! LMAO)
[QUOTE=Giotto; 1440811]All,
The Lodge closed today, the ground floor will be renovated. The renovation will last about 3 months.
Ohh, I forgot to mention. A new owner took over, and he will change the concept a bit. But all of you should come here later this year, to check it out. It will be great.
Thanks for all your support over the last 9 years. It was great meeting you.
Giotto (retired since 01. 07. 2013)
[URL]http://www.livingstoneslodge.com[/URL][/QUOTE]All the best for you in your future endeavours Giotto. When last I stayed in LL it was indeed getting a bit quiet, but I was treated like a king (and not only by the girls in the Sports Lounge) and will fondly remember the few nights I was in your hotel.
[QUOTE=Rjsss212; 1440995]This sounds like bad news as you've always seemed a good guy providing a personalized service not easily found in this day and age. You mention that it should be great following renovations which suggests that this ownership change is good for you as well and you're not unhappy with this or is this situation not entirely of your choosing?
I recall you also opened a restaurant near Silom. Will you continue with that or is that finished as well?[/QUOTE]Rjsss212,
Thanks for your positive statement in regards of our service.
I am absolutely OK with what's happening now. After some successful years until around 2008 Livingstone's Lodge lost money. Too many problems: Thaksin, demonstrations, airport occupation, killing of 100 demonstrators, floods, financial crisis, European debt crisis etc. etc. etc.). The tourism in Bangkok has changed. Years ago 90 of 100 tourists were Caucasians, now 90 of 100 tourists are Asians.
The LL concept needs to be changed, and this is right now happening. Our concept died somehow a few years ago.
I personally needed to stop the financial bleeding. The losses of the Lodge started to eat up my retirement savings. LL was listed with Sunbelt Asia in October 2012 already. And we needed quite a time to find a buyer. But finally we found one. And a real good one. A man with ideas. A man who really has a vision. A man who can make it here. And he might change all the road.
I am here right now, and I support this guy in the transition period. He gets my full support with everything he needs, and step by step I teach him about the "nervous system" of this property. I will be here as long as he needs me, at least for the next two months. And afterwards I will still return from time to time, when you guys return to here.
As for the restaurant in Silom (Patpong) - that's Guido's (my ex-manager) restaurant. I helped him to start it up. But that was it for me. I definitely prefer to spend my time on the balcony of my condo high above Bangkok or at my house on the river in Ayutthaya. But not in Patpong. No way!
Guys, don't worry about me. I am fine, and I will be fine!
For those of you hormone- and animal-instincts driven mongers (should I say "motherfuckers"?) who know me and had contact to me I will still be here. Get listed in the Outlook contact group! To all others except "some": Good bye, have fun, all the Best! To Harold... and "some" others: You are still idiots! Nothing changed! Fuck you!
Giotto
[QUOTE=Mackin;1441058]Are they going to keep the same name?[/QUOTE]Mackin,
The hotel upstairs will keep the name LL.
The ground floor will operate with a different name.
Giotto
I hope you keep the thread open. Maybe we can post our 'funniest LL stories'!
[QUOTE=Bionicman; 1441677]It looks we are loosing an hotel host but might re-gain forum member in full activity.
S'pore: give me notice in due time and I can arrange, but I need really early notice as it is in high demand (ah ah ah you guys stop wondering what this is all about. I AM NOT a pimp! LMAO) [/QUOTE]Make sure to include me. I live there.
[QUOTE=Giotto; 1441812]Mackin,
The hotel upstairs will keep the name LL.
The ground floor will operate with a different name.
Giotto[/QUOTE]Maybe too early to discuss, but what's going to be happening in the ground floor, apart operating with a different name than LL? Restaurant? Bar? Gogo bar, MP, lounge bar. Just thinking loud. Oh well. We'll see!