Brand Do!

Some names feel like destiny. For Timothy Go, his surname has quietly shaped the story of his life.

“I never really thought about living up to it,” he says, “but a hotelier in Venice once told me, ‘Your last name is so cool and dynamic—like you’re always on the go.’ And maybe she was right. My life just kept moving forward.”

Born in Manila. Grew up in Vancouver. Spent most of his career in Singapore. Now running a hotel in Uzbekistan. Timothy has literally gone everywhere.

Before any of this, he was a familiar face and voice in Asia’s media scene. Viewers knew him from the TV screen on CNA, where he delivered news with perfect hair, colorful ties, and a little too much makeup. But the media world was changing, and by the time he turned 40, he made a call few would dare.

“I didn’t want to grow old in front of the bright lights,” he admits. “TV news was becoming a sunset industry, and I had other ideas I wanted to try.”

He pivoted fast. There was tech360tv (tech360.tv), his own digital platform. Then came Subway® Asia Pacific, the F&B venture that saw him move from studio lights to sandwich counters. Now, he’s the owner of Hotel Bankir Khiva and Go Anywhere Tours, a boutique travel and hospitality experience in Uzbekistan.

Why the bold switch?

“Midlife crisis,” he says with a laugh. “But also, if not now, then when?”

Every shift has come with its own challenges. Media was familiar. Subway brought him back to his 90s roots, flipping burgers at McDonald’s and foaming milk at Starbucks. But the hotel world was foreign territory.

“I used to be the guest. Now I’m the one cooking scrambled eggs for tour groups,” he says.

He doesn’t just manage from a distance. He’s right there—serving breakfast, fixing rooms, training staff, and sharing every detail that elevates a stay. Custom-made mattresses. Memory foam upgrades. Thoughtful touches that reflect the best of his global experiences.

“I run this with the eyes of a traveler,” he says. “We want people to leave Uzbekistan already thinking about when to come back.”

Ironically, even though his business is named Go Anywhere Tour, Timothy isn’t traveling as much these days.

“But it’s okay,” he says. “Because now, I help others go.”

And how does he want to be remembered?

“I think I’m a different Timothy for different people. To my family, I’m the goofy one who never grew up. To people who watched me on TV, I’m that polished news guy.

But maybe, I’m also just someone who dared to go where others wouldn’t. And in doing that, I created a path only I could walk.”

38 guestrooms. Countless stories. And still no place to call home—for now.

But wherever he is, Timothy Go is always moving forward.

Fun fact about the name “Go”

While “Go” is a common Filipino-Chinese surname, it often sparks curiosity abroad. In North America and Europe, people think it’s dynamic and cool — like a built-in action word.

In Singapore, some locals were confused why his “Go” didn’t have an “H” — as in “Goh,” the more common local spelling. And in the early 2000s, Timothy even considered switching to his Spanish family name “Gonzalo” to sound more marketable in the era of Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez. But in the end, he stuck with “Go” — and quite literally, went places.