Athens Hilton Hotel is not only a temporary home for the 123 members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) but according to a report it is also the venue for the “deal-making and politicking that drives the Olympic movement”.
It seems the lobby of the Hilton is the battlefield where the five cities bidding for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games – London, Paris, New York, Madrid and Moscow – could either win or lose their bids.
The hotel was block-booked nearly six years ago when Athens was awarded the Games, and is a short limousine ride from the Olympic Stadium.
Reports say the leaderships of the London, Paris and New York bids were lobbying the hotel’s prestigious guests on Wednesday . Following the Salt Lake City bribery scandal candidates are bound by strict regulations limiting the scale and nature of contacts with the IOC members voting for host cities.
Dan Doctoroff, the CEO of New York’s bid says, “it’s a great opportunity for us to get at the members of the IOC and many more members of the Olympic family. It is the only chance between now and the vote in Singapore when it will happen. Our contacts are informal, open and it’s a great opportunity to establish relationships”.
