39 replies to this topic

[thorbr]

^{Rio 2016 accommodation offering counts 52 new hotels}


Contracts represent a guarantee of 4,577 additional rooms for use during the 2016 Games


The Rio de Janeiro bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games has guaranteed that it will provide quality accommodation for the Olympic and Paralympic Families and media across both events. Since the submission of the Candidature File – including a guarantee of 40,000 rooms as required by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) - the number of hotels committed to the project does not stop growing. Since February 2009, 52 new hotels have confirmed their support for the bid, adding a further 4,577 available rooms in Rio de Janeiro and the cities which will host football matches (São Paulo, Salvador, Belo Horizonte and Brasilia) for guests of the Games.

In its Candidature File, Rio 2016 exceeded IOC requirements and the ongoing expressions of support since this submission have been very encouraging for the Bid Committee. "Accommodation is a very important feature of an Olympic bid. We had the task of finding solutions, with a focus on public stakeholders and the post-Games legacy. The Rio 2016 project met all IOC requirements, but the commitment of the hotel network is reinforced by each new contract signed," said Carlos Arthur Nuzman, President of the Rio 2016 Committee.

The Rio 2016 accommodation project is also connected to the project of revitalizing the Port of Rio, officially launched by local authorities on June 23rd 2009. A village with 1,840 rooms will be built in the area while the port itself will welcome cruise ships that will also be used for Games accommodation.

[Cauê]

Very good!

[DannyelBrazil]

This, probably, ends the issue: "Will Rio have enough accomodations for SOG?"

[Rafa]

uhm no.

[Soaring]

I think not. Rio is the weakest on the accommodation front.

[Pure facts]

Rio is indeed the weakest for accommodation but that's not the point.
The point is does Rio have or will most likely have sufficient capacity by 2016. We shall know in one month when the evaluation commission report comes out. If accommodation is not highlighted as a significant challenge, then it won't be an issue for Rio.

[DannyelBrazil]

Rio needs 40,000 rooms, ok?
With those anoounced to be built, Rio reaches this number and has no big issues to solve in accomodations, am I right or not?
And in the last three years Rio got the title of the biggest (in number of foreign tourists) destination in Southern Hemisphere with the actual number of rooms...

[Pure facts]

Don't be so defensive.

When it comes to accommodation, the question comes down to "Does the candidate city have secured - through written agreement - enough room to meet Games times requirement?". It's not easy as it sounds. In the past, Madrid, Salzburg accommodation guarantees were deemed somewhat unsufficient.

Again, probably not a big deal unless the EC report mentions something as "accommodation would be a huge challenge" and even so...

[Rafa]

No it won't have sufficient capacity but these are all very different concepts.

1. IOC guarantee: 40,000 rooms. This figure is unsustainable for many cities, so Rio will invest in a media village and other accommodation otpions through the city to fill the gap between existing hotel rooms and what is required. Cruise ships will add to the capacity too.

A city really shouldn't be building hotels it cannot sustain after the Games.

2. Spectator accommodation might be a bit tricky but Rio is a major tourist destination with massive events and with some planning it should not be a complete nightmare. Some even suggest London will be a tight in terms of accommodation.

IMO the weakness in the Rio accommodation concept is the limited number of hotel rooms which they have managed to get guarantees for and the risk in building facilities for the other rooms required to meet the 40,000 room guarantee.

Other than that its silly to want to compete with Tokyo, Madrid and Chicago who have massive numbers of existing rooms and a superior accommodation concept due to the compact nature of their bids.

[Rafa]

Adding on to what Pure Facts said, the IOC response to Madrid who had a problem with the IOC requirement for guarantees for all 40,000 rooms rather than just having 40,000 hotel rooms existing, is available at the Bid Library.

I think the IOC said something along the lines of "We believe Madrid has underestimated the task in ensuring that the IOC guarantees for all rooms are met".