AYOR

August 23, 2003

Just purchased an up-to-date copy of Spartacus '03 and was surprised to read their take on Club 117. "A place to avoid. It is not a sauna but a boys club. Excessive payment demanded upon departure. You have been warned!." So do they have an axe to grind?

trilingual · August 24, 2003

Yeah, I saw that, too. It seems a bit out-of-character for Spartacus to just slam a place because of one person's bad experience. Obviously, many M4Mers (who've been to 117 recently) have had different experiences. As for guys trying to overcharge, it's been known to happen at all the saunas; 117 isn't unique in that regard. But overcharging and game-playing are still the exception, and not the rule, at all the Brazilian saunas.

August 24, 2003

I have never had a problem at 117(although I have to admit the girl at the desk sees me and just smiles, knowing they will get at least 4 or 5 cabine rentals from me every visit! lol )I have never been overcharged by the desk or the boys! It's one of my favorites, with the regulars like Anderson, Andre, Miak and Davol, etc.

I think Spartucus must be using one reference for this comment. One time I was there, a Asian guy at the Desk was complaining about being charged for drinks he hadn't ordered, I don't doubt that could happen...but now the bartender, who is a really great guy, always asks you if a boy is trying to charge to your room key, if it's ok!

August 24, 2003

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Driver · August 24, 2003

The one time I asked to see a breakdown of the bill I could not find fault with it. The bar tenders are very honest it seems to me and the one I like too call a friend always looks to me (for a nod or a shake) when someone asks to put a drink on my bartab.

If spartacas has done this then it would seem a shame.

BillyZ · August 24, 2003

Ditto

Tri, TomCal, Driver are exactly right.

117 is a great place -- the best in Rio by far, in my opinion.

I have been there every day the past Tuesday through today (Sunday, opening soon) -- usually for five to eight hours each visit. No problems, no hassles, no overcharging. Bar staff are kind and helpful, as is even the sweet towel boy.

A majority of the guys are awesome. Yes, Anderson is at the top of my list too, but Rafael, Anthony, and lots of other new discoveries are remarkable as well.

They are running various specials. I expected to pay hundreds on Tuesday and thought they had neglected to charge me for my numerous rooms, until I found on rooms are free on Tuesdays! The first room is free on Wednesday. (I guess this is an off-season promo, did not remember it from December.)

Yes, we have come across a couple of duds, of course, but they have been rare.

When putting together Cecil B. DeMille productions with large casts, my buddy always make sure everybody agrees to their parts and their fees in advance. No problems and breathtaking results.

Hope Spartacus can be sent our comments to correct their silly slam as soon as possible. Incidentally, I do not imagine that Spartacus maintains such high quality controls standards in investigating every single venue in every city on the planet. So, if Spartacus gets an intense credible-sounding slam, in the absence of any information to the contrary, I am not surprised if it gets published.

p.s.

Not far from 117, the World War II memorial now had strict barriers in a very wide perimeter surrounding the place after dark -- where or not have been put in place to protect the Brazilian military from M4Mers is unclear at this time!

trilingual · August 24, 2003

RE: Ditto

Actually, 117 had the free cabine promotions earlier this year during the Brazilian summer (i.e., high season). I guess it's just to drum up business on what could otherwise be slow nights early in the week. Especially now that there's so much competition!

Driver · August 24, 2003

RE: Ditto

Tuesday was always free cabine night after a closed monday but i have not heard of a free first cabine on a wednesday night. I like 117 and it is my favorite club so the more discounts the better!

Mavica · August 24, 2003

Like 117

While I enjoyed the place, I found the 117 to be the location where the most games were played of the commercial sex saunas I visited in Feburary 2003. The "best" of anything is a very subjective determination; what's good for one person can be complely different for another. I doubt that Spatacus would so label a place without multiple negative comments. Remember, this board is inhabited by a very few regular posters; guys who, to me, seem to have little sexual experience outside Brazil, and I think that inexperience colors the many comments we see posted.

trilingual · August 24, 2003

RE: Like 117

>guys who, to me, seem to have little sexual experience outside Brazil

Huh? Speak for yourself, hon! A lot of the posters on this board have trashed their way across at least three or four continents! More in some cases! (Among those I can think of off the top of my head, Tomcal, Gulliver, SF Traveler, HooBoy and Yours Truly have certainly had many "Close Encounters of the 69th Kind" in countries around the globe.) However, this board is definitely populated by guys who've reached the conclusion that there's something very special about Brazil, its men, and its attitudes to life and sexuality. In most cases, we've reached those conclusions based on comparisons with our experiences in our home countries and elsewhere.

BTW, you once mentioned that there were some OTHER countries that were infinitely more fabulous than Brazil, filled with MUCH better looking guys, but you never actually mentioned the names of these earthly paradises. Would you care to share them now? :*

August 24, 2003

RE: Like 117

Mavica, Why do you go and make those kind of sweeping generalizations?? I assume I must have been one of the posters you are referring to and I know we haven't me! I date(I am not talking escorts, but Dating) an average of twice a week here in L.A., went to London recently and went out with 3 different guys over 4 nights(btw, highly recommend gaydar.co.uk for meeting guys to date)When I am in Brazil and on several occasions in NYC, I pay. I fly all most weekly for the company I work for, in Hawaii this week, London and Paris next week. I have no idea how old you are or what you look like, but I would bet I have had at least as many and probably more dating experience then you and from your posts about your trip to Rio, I have DEFINITLY had many more experiences then you there! Would you like to stick to your outragous statement now and contradict me with some actual facts??

Quite a few M4M's have met me and several here in L.A. have met different guys that I am/have dated, So I can verify my statements, can you?

When I talk about Rio, I am giving an opinion based on my experiences, You went with a elderly companion(in his late 70's if I remember correctly) and you didn't have a good time! I have been in Rio so far with 14 different posters from this board and all of us from many different occupations, locales and ages all agree and you don't, If I was somebody reading these posts, unbiased, whose views do you think would represent more the norm?? I spoke to a poster to was in Rio when you were, and I think there is more to your bad exper. there then you have told. But your opinions are just that as ours are and both are valid when put into the proper context. I have stated before that boys in Rio will do things with some guys they may not do with others based on different factors such as ATTITUDE! So if you want to make statements like you did, then tell us how many guys you have "dated" in the past year, and how many you have paid for and on what continents and they we can all make unbiased comparisons of whose posts are probably closer to the facts.

Again, you have stated in the past that the boys in Rio are not that special and their are better looking ones with better bodies elsewhere!! Please, let us in on your secret Shang-ri-la?? Considering all the international travel that for example myself,my friend Doug, Gulliver and Florida Robb have done, it would be really amazing if you actually have found such a place......

BTW, Spartacus does not need multiple verifications of a place to print their comments, if they only have one or two they will run with it as they have to get their book out. I have been to 117 over 25 different times in the past year and you went how many times??? that you are basing your 'Facts" on ???

Remember Mavica, facts are the fastest way to shut critics down so please start with me and show me how your Vast experiences make my limited ones invalid??

August 25, 2003

RE: Like 117

OK let be practical here

If people stay away because of the Sparticus Guide that means more boys for the rest of us?

When it comes to travel to Brazil I am positive this site has a bigger impact than any guides - hundreds of travelers have taken the leap to travel to a place not easy to get to because of the kind assistance and accurate information they have received on this site.

:-)

trilingual · August 25, 2003

RE: Spartacus vs. M4M

Well, just based on the number of RSVPs for the October party, it's obvious that a lot of guys have been making their travel plans based on M4M! Not to mention all the guys who will be travelling on other dates that don't coincide with the festivities.

I don't know the size of the Spartacus print run or their circulation figures, but earlier this year I had a possible advertiser for M4M while I was in South America and asked HooBoy for some statistics about the site. I don't remember them exactly, and there isn't a breakdown of page views for each of the message center boards, but the astronomical overall monthly stats for M4M amazed me. There are well over 1 million hits on M4M per month!!! Even knowing that some of us are regulars, we couldn't generate that many hits ourselves! So evidently a lot of people are visiting M4M, and at least a fraction must be finding their way into the message center!

I think the Rio Tourist Board owes us, big time! The least they could do for us, IMHO, is arrange an overnight party for us regulars with the Rio Fire Department's mouth-watering Lifeguard Corps! Or the Metro security guards! (Has anybody else noticed those guys? Droooool! I used to think the L.A. Police and Sheriff's department had cornered the market on hot guys in uniform, but I'm convinced that a major part of the hiring process for the Metro security guards in Rio must be a gigantic casting couch!!!) :9

Brall · August 26, 2003

Hello Everyone,

Unfortunately the situation at Club 117 is not isolated to one person's complaint. Almost all of my friends here in Germany and a few from other surrounding countries have complained about wrongful charges to their account at Club 117. This has happened to me almost every time I visited Club 117; HOWEVER, when the situation was pointed out to the VERY NICE ladies working at the desk, they gladly removed the wrongful charges. One night a guy informed the girl that I was paying for his account as he left the sauna. When I told her that I had not agreed to pay for anyone's account but my own, she deleted the charges from my account, mentioned the guy's name to the man working behind the counter with her, and for the next week I did not see the guy at the sauna. True, one has to be careful regardless of where you are in the world, and a visit to Club 117 is no exception to the rule. While most of you seem to take this situation in calmful stride, to others the situation is quite annoying, distainful, and absolutely unnecessary. We are very nice to the guys working at the sauna, and I think the majority of us would have no problem buying a few extras such as food, drinks, etc. for the guys; therefore there is no need for deception on anyone's part. Once again, the problem of wrongful charges is not an isolated incident. Lets hope the problem is quickly correctly so that the next reporting in "Sparticus" is very positive.

trilingual · August 27, 2003

Can you tell us when these incidents occurred? These kinds of things have happened at 117 in the past, as they have at all the saunas. However, when I was in Rio from March through June, I never had such a problem. Neither have some of the other guys who've posted recently on M4M about 117.

If it turns out that this problem continues, we need to bring it to the attention of the management. I'm sure they understand that it drives away business if it's happening. That's one reason, I'm sure, that they posted a Standards of Conduct/Ethics for the escorts (it was on the wall of the doorway leading to the front desk, but it's entirely in Portuguese). They may need to reinforce it!

BillyZ · August 27, 2003

Standards in Portuguese

I'd really love to read an English translation

of those Standards of Conduct at 117!

BillyZ · August 27, 2003

Standards in Portuguese

I'd really love to read an English translation

of those Standards of Conduct at 117!

trilingual · August 27, 2003