If your clients are still debating whether they should head to London for the Olympics, there's some good news: The Associated Press is reporting that while most of the city's swankiest hotels have been booked up for the Olympics, some rooms are still available.
Many rooms at top hotels were snapped up by Olympic officials or companies block-booking rooms for favored customers. Hoteliers, understandably, are trying to maximize revenues during the July 27-August 12 event while not alienating loyal customers and still fulfilling obligations to organizers, who asked all hotels to hand over some rooms to house officials, athletes and delegates during the London Games.
"You can still get some rooms in certain periods of the games, although we expect to be fully booked soon," said Simon Negger, spokesman for the Maybourne Hotel Group that owns three of London's most popular hotels: Claridge's, The Connaught and The Berkeley. Some properties have not increased rates beyond normal high summer season prices, but have imposed minimum stays and stricter cancellation policies.
Claridge's still has rooms available but wants customers to book a minimum of five nights over the Olympic period. The recently refurbished Savoy has suites available for single-night bookings, as does the Ritz.