Tuesday, December 7, 2010

London 2012 Summer Olympics: Hotels and Politics Don't Mix

www.london2012-tours.com
www.london-tours-2012.com

London recently lost a bid to host the 2018 World Cup. A backlash was inevitable but little did we think it would result in bouncing international soccer federation (called "Fifa") VPs from London 2012 hotels. Fifa president Sepp Blatter may be bumped from the swank Dorchester Hotel, not because of a fit of pique from Mayor of London Boris Johnson, but because international dignitaries may pull rank.

Mr Johnson, who initially claimed Fifa executives would not be welcome at the Dorchester Hotel following England’s embarrassing two votes for the 2018 World Cup, has now said it is up to the London Olympic organisers to deal with accommodation issues. Johnson told Inside The Games: “The Dorchester Hotel business is really a matter for Locog and I’m sure they’ll make their decision on the best possible basis. “It’s no secret that we are very upset with Fifa though.”

But it is understood that Locog has received an overwhelming flood of applications including from Fifa but also from other VIP’s and embassies who may want to house visiting politicians and their mandarins at the swish hotel. Anybody who is accommodated at the Dorchester, and other leading London hotels, through the London organisers has to pay for their room. “We have had more applications than rooms available,” a Locog spokesperson said. “We haven’t allocated any rooms to anyone at this stage.”


The Olympic rate is based on a three-year average of the rack rate, which at the Dorchester, with its marble finishes and four-poster bed suites, can eclipse £1,000 a night (roughly $1600/night). Only athletes staying at the athletes’ village are given Olympic accommodation free of charge. Fifa officials have stayed at the hotel previously, including during the official evaluation period of England’s bid last summer.


Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympics, please visit our websites http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.