# What are the accommodations like in the Olympic Village? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 8, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877 "2012-08-08T16:27:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/1 "2012-08-08T16:27:59Z")
Like a suite in a 5 star hotel? or a college dormitory. I am sure it more like a hotel than a college dorm. Private baths, Maid service etc. But what about the higher profile athletes? I can’t imagine that Phelps and King LeBron are staying in a comparable room to the third string guy on Belarus’s handball team. If they are even staying in the Village and what about the Married w/ children athletes. Do they get additional room for cribs etc. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/2 "2012-08-08T16:55:24Z")
[Here is some info. on it.](http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/02/12509629-inside-londons-olympic-village-worlds-top-athletes-to-share-college-dorm-style-rooms?lite&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews) ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/3 "2012-08-08T17:01:32Z")
I don’t know anything about London 2012, but I know for the 1984 Los Angeles games, the Olympic Village was literally college dormitories. The Games used the UCLA and USC residence halls. At UCLA a huge security fence was erected around the dorm area, and that was the village. Summer students were told they needed to find somewhere else to stay that summer. UCLA was the venue for tennis and gymnastics. USC is right across the street from the Coliseum, site of the opening and closing ceremonies and all track and field events. In the 2008 games, we visited relatives in Qingdao, site of the sailing events. There the Olympic village was a combination of new construction and a take over of the adjacent Crowne Plaza hotel. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/4 "2012-08-08T17:10:18Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > [Here is some info. on it.](http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/02/12509629-inside-londons-olympic-village-worlds-top-athletes-to-share-college-dorm-style-rooms?lite&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews) Thanks for the link. Closer to a college dorm than 5-star hotel. Only a few rooms have private baths? That surprises me. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/5 "2012-08-08T17:37:18Z")
Usain Bolt tweeted a [photo](http://cache.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2012/08/07/1344380564_1639/539w.jpg) of some guests in his room after the 100 metres. Looks like a college dorm, to me 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bartman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bartman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bartman)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/6 "2012-08-08T17:40:38Z")
> [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#): > > I don’t know anything about London 2012, but I know for the 1984 Los Angeles games, the Olympic Village was literally college dormitories. The Games used the UCLA and USC residence halls. At UCLA a huge security fence was erected around the dorm area, and that was the village. Summer students were told they needed to find somewhere else to stay that summer. UCLA was the venue for tennis and gymnastics. USC is right across the street from the Coliseum, site of the opening and closing ceremonies and all track and field events. They did much the same thing for the Salt Lake winter Olympics. [That Village](http://www.utah.com/olympics/venues/u_of_u.htm) was located in new construction at the University of Utah. The U of U had a real lack of student housing prior to the Olympics, so it was seen as an opportunity to get free housing (at least free for the University). So it was built to dorm standards (shared bedrooms and bathrooms with 1 toilet, sink and shower for every 4 residents). Shutting down the University for the Olympics was just seen as a relatively small cost to pay for the Village and the other improvements to the University (they also got a large stadium upgrade, and a number of minor upgrades all over the campus). ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/7 "2012-08-08T22:29:31Z")
college dorms, and the beds are really too small for quite a few of the athletes. anyone above 6" is gonna have a time of it. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/8 "2012-08-08T22:56:01Z")
Any clue about athletes with spouses and kids? ---
**Author:** ![Suse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Suse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suse)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/9 "2012-08-09T00:11:21Z")
Apparently they stay in hotels as only athletes, coaches, and anyone with the official entourage can stay in Olympic Village. [This athlete/](http://www.thevictoryformation.com/2012/08/04/olympian-sent-home-because-he-saw-his-wife-and-kids/) got kicked out for making a visit to his wife and family. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/10 "2012-08-09T01:52:40Z")
I got a kick out of this picture of [Tyson Chandler](http://www.businessinsider.com/tyson-chandler-lolo-jones-2012-7) on an Olympic village athletes bed. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/11 "2012-08-09T04:38:54Z")
If the stories I’ve read in the media now and back in '08 are any indication, the answer is: soaked in various sexual fluids. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/12 "2012-08-09T07:09:39Z")
After the games the Olympic Village will be converted to regular housing. Kitchens are yet to be installed and many of the current partition walls are temporary, giving the dorm-like feel. I expect the finished apartments to be much more comfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/13 "2012-08-09T07:51:19Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > college dorms, and the beds are really too small for quite a few of the athletes. anyone above 6" is gonna have a time of it. Not this time - London have specifically fitted extra long beds so tall athletes don’t have dangling feet. The village is a new build but and be converted to housing once the athletes go home. EDIT: well they claimed the beds would be longer but after Ike Witt’s link I’m not so sure now… ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/14 "2012-08-09T09:30:49Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Not this time - London have specifically fitted extra long beds so tall athletes don’t have dangling feet. The village is a new build but and be converted to housing once the athletes go home. > > EDIT: well they claimed the beds would be longer but after Ike Witt’s link I’m not so sure now… Most of the beds are standard length, but extra-long ones were available for those that needed them. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/15 "2012-08-09T12:27:14Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > EDIT: well they claimed the beds would be longer but after Ike Witt’s link I’m not so sure now… Well, it may actually be a longer bed. The guy is 7’1" after all. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-accommodations-like-in-the-olympic-village/630877/16 "2012-08-22T10:01:45Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Thanks for the link. Closer to a college dorm than 5-star hotel. Only a few rooms have private baths? That surprises me. The ones in Barcelona were designed to be later sold as flats, every flat had a communal kitchen, communal bathroom and communal living room. The bedrooms in any of them are all the same size, the size that the local housing market calls “large” (in most of the rest of Spain they’d be “medium”).