City Lodge for Rent

A friend of mine looked into it a month or so ago. The owners are asking (in his opinion) too much for it.

Yes, the same owners, but Steve and Mali got the Clock at a steal in comparison to what he wants for the City Lodge.

I can't remember the exact figures, so I wont post what I think I remember them to be.

The guy who went to look at it is back in a couple of weeks, so I'll ask him again about it if no figures have been posted in the meantime. But, I remember thinking "Crikey! That's a lot of moolah".

The City Lodge originally opened December 2002

Quite a 'fancy' place it was then.....even had radio adverts about it, nice decor, and lots of TV's, if i remember right you could watch/choose your own channel, ground floor and nice staircase going to second floor, very trendy for Udon back then.

BobHelm wrote:...... The business (and goodwill) is almost zero...

Have to agree with that, while goodwill takes a long time to build up, it can be (and in this case was) lost pretty rapidly - in addition things have now moved on and changed a lot in Udon since it first opened.

I stayed there quite a few times in its earlier days - but in those days there were few alternatives in or around the town centre. There is now a great deal of accommodation competition which is at prices that are lower than the City Lodge used to charge (even when it was being run well).

From the catering perspective (without a market differentiator like Andy) it will just be another place struggling to compete.

Economically and politically there is no prospect in the next year of any substantial world turnaround which will bring additional people and their discretionary disposable income to Thailand and Udon.

In my view anyone who took it on would need the resources to run it at a loss for up to a year or so until they can re-create the goodwill and turnover that it used to have (assuming they have the ideas, management talent and staff to be able to do so).

I hope that someone can take on the business and restore it to its former glory - it should also be remembered that the City Lodge was so named by its original owner Malcolm (Andy's brother) in honour of the best football club in Manchester

When I first came to Udon in 2004 the City Lodge was my favourite place to go for a meal and a few beers.
Andy was the chef then and his mate Tom worked behind the bar.The waitresses were very nice and the food,prepared by Andy,delicious.
The rooms cost from about 500 baht and it was in an excellent location for the centre of town.
Since Andy left in October 2007 the place has gone down the pan....only ever heard bad reports about the standard of food and accomodation now.
When you think about it the City Lodge should have been as much a viable concern as the Irish Clock.Difference is Steve and Mali have been much smarter in building up a regular clientele with good food,service and excellent accomodation at a fair price.
I do hope the City Lodge gets someone with a bit of business acumen to take over and it can return to its healthy state of a few years back.

the furnishings in the rooms could use a make over also. went there a while back to inspect with a friend, was quite surprised how off it was from when it first opened and Andy took care of things. quite a good cook/baker also. it will take another 'unique' individual to turn that place back to profitable, IMO, I don't see it happening, as Jimbo points out, economics and the competition level has changed dramatically. the investment and agree, running about a year without showing any real profit till business is rebuilt, is a bit much for most.

Galee wrote:Stayed there in 2006 for a few days. Nice big rooms, but it was getting a bit tired by then.

Would have stayed there longer, but an ex-girlfriend found out I was there, so moved out quick to avoid a load of hassle.

And save yourself a Few Thousand Baht

The City Lodge revolved around Andy, the food, and the staff.
I used to enjoy the breakfasts there when Andy was taking care of the place.
When Andy left, the Lodge went down the toilet. The customer base voted with their feet.
It would take a lot of investment, and time before you could turn it round, and Udon Thani has moved on, the new owner would have a lot of catching up to do.
It's sad to see it's demise, as it is in a prime location.

great place to stay in its time , and very sad to see how it is today . stayed there many times when andy and tom run the place , and even though the stairs to the top floor were a killer when youve had a few sherbets , and it can get noisy at night when duang dang winds the volume up , i always had a good stay and always felt very welcome by all the staff . in my opinion its demise really started when tracy took over the place , and lost many of its clients before andy left . she seemed to run it as her own home , as apposed to a business !!!!!! so the thai guy really had no chance with it , as a lot of the damage was already done . im pretty sure it could be a success again in the right hands , and a few shackles spent on it , but it would take time . im pretty sure the owners are flying a kite asking for a high rent , and that it would be open to negotiation , certainly in the present climate . now would be the time to take it on , if theres anyone interested . buy in at the bottom of the market and sell on at the top , but you would need huge reserves , know the hospitality trade , and be a individual like andy to make it a success . it would be great to see the place back to its former glory .....