Cheapest Olympic rentals at 840 euros
Renting a private home during the Olympics will cost at least 840 euros ($940) through official agents working to offset Athens’s acute accommodation shortage, according to figures released yesterday. Nearly all of the city’s best hotel rooms – as well as several cruise ships – have been reserved for the «Olympic family» that includes sports officials and sponsors. Most spectators and others are left to find private lodging. Next year’s Olympics run from August 13-29. The rental period, however, goes from July 10 to September 10, 2004 with a minimum six-night stay required. Prices for six nights begin at 840 euros ($940) per person, the official rental agency list said. The most expensive is 1,200 euros ($1,344) per person for six nights. A 20 percent surcharge is added for places up to 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) from the main Olympic complex. Ten percent is added for apartments with a sea view or close to other venues. Prices for deluxe rentals, which include villas and luxurious apartments, are given upon request. The monthly rental charges were not published on the list. The prices include transport to and from the airport, a cleaning service every three days, liability insurance and an emergency hotline. Besides this officially approved program, individual homeowners will work, through travel agents, to provide accommodation. Prices are not known yet. (AP, Kathimerini)
