As journalists stream into Sochi to cover the Winter Olympics, many of them are finding that their hotel rooms and other accommodations are unsafe, unsanitary or even unfinished. According to the Associated Press, only six of the nine media hotels are fully operational and some of them have stray dogs and construction workers wandering around inside.
In the old days, it would take quite a while for the general public to discover that one hotel lobby had no floor installed and that another hotel has no lobby at all. Now, thanks to social media, it takes only seconds for us to hear about how a reporter got stuck using the stairs because his hotel didn’t have a working elevator.
It’s time for some Twitter show-and-tell about #SochiProblems:
Got back to hotel. Lift broken after half day in use. Trekked up stairs. Door to my floor (that'd be the fire door) locked. Utter farce.
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) February 4, 2014
People have asked me what surprised me the most here in Sochi. It's this. Without question … it's … THIS. pic.twitter.com/1jj05FNdCP
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) February 4, 2014
Days before the opening ceremonies, Sochi's Media Village still isn't ready http://t.co/WtN4VnCsna pic.twitter.com/GTpRjB8gdk
— The Atlantic Cities (@AtlanticCities) February 4, 2014
One of the stray dogs that #Sochi officials have tried to cull ahead of the #Olympics. This one so docile pic.twitter.com/yq5jEbsOqU
— Matt Gutman (@mattgutmanABC) February 5, 2014
"Daddy, you should probably take these to Sochi." pic.twitter.com/2lrO7OBlM9
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 2, 2014
The reception of our hotel in #Sochi has no floor. But it does have this welcoming picture. pic.twitter.com/8isdoBuytl
— Kevin Bishop (@bishopk) February 4, 2014
Well that's interesting… Sochi rules in the bathrooms!! #haha #olympics pic.twitter.com/xacSVimwXY
— Sebastien Toutant (@SebToots) February 1, 2014
Water restored, sorta. On the bright side, I now know what very dangerous face water looks like. #Sochi #unfiltered pic.twitter.com/sQWM0vYtyz
— Stacy St. Clair (@StacyStClair) February 4, 2014
Did Stamkos make his decision after seeing whatt the rooms look like in Sochi?http://t.co/VHo0RHf83x pic.twitter.com/xYlu8U10nL
— Stephen Tustin (@stustin) February 5, 2014
"@grasswire "I'm no plumber,but I don't believe these urinals in the hotel lobby have any pipes #Sochi pic.twitter.com/pFVpsuD3Iw – @DaveSheinin
— Agnes de Berlimont (@AgnesdeBerlimon) February 5, 2014
For those of you asking, when there's no lobby in your hotel, you go to the owner's bedroom to check in. #Sochi2014
— Mark MacKinnon (@markmackinnon) February 4, 2014
My room is pretty! But my toilet has no, uh, flush function #sochi pic.twitter.com/BV5tltBGDu
— Sara Germano (@germanotes) February 5, 2014
Прибывающие на олимпийские игры иностранные спортсмены с удовольствием позируют в диковинных туалетах города Сочи pic.twitter.com/NFzUmybHar
— Илья Яшин (@IlyaYashin) February 3, 2014
Bees in your honey, beer colored water, no flush toilets and the buzz abt #Sochi yuck factor today on @GMA pic.twitter.com/CvztMrEHRE
— Matt Gutman (@mattgutmanABC) February 5, 2014
Loads of construction work going on everywhere inside the @Sochi2014 Olympic Park. A lot still to do. #cnnsochi pic.twitter.com/eyMik49U2P
— Harry Reekie (@HarryCNN) February 5, 2014
@DChernyshenko Our media hotel is not ready Dmitry….11 rooms booked five months ago, only one ready. Please help.
— Harry Reekie (@HarryCNN) February 4, 2014
Watch your step @Sochi2014 — I've noticed on walkway and on sidewalks that not all man holes are always covered. pic.twitter.com/a5Nv4wu5iA
— Jo-Ann Barnas (@JoAnnBarnas) February 1, 2014 ript async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">
For all the complaining that journalists are doing about the conditions, at least things are safe… in terms of sex anyway.
In order to make sure that things stay safe in the bedrooms throughout the Olympic Village, International Olympic Committee officials have handed out 100,000 condoms. (It might have been wise to spend the money on plumbing instead of rubbers, but who knows?) According to a representative from the IOC, “The distribution of condoms in the village is part of the IOC’s involvement in the HIV and AIDS prevention." There are about 7,650 athletes who will be competing in the Games during a 16-day span.
In addition to the condoms, there has also been at least some progress at one of the hotels…kind of:
Progress on the front desk front – a laptop and computer for Volodya. Still no floor though.. @Sochi2014 pic.twitter.com/tz0TRSlgYQ
— Kevin Bishop (@bishopk) February 5, 2014
Evan Bleier is a freelance writer based out of wherever he can plug in his laptop. You can send him questions, comments and Buffalo wing suggestions @itishowitis or "like" CraveOnline Sports on Facebook
Sports Channel Editor Josh Helmuth also contributed to this article.
