It’s like they’re back in the U.S.S.R. — athletes and fans staying in Sochi for the Winter Olympics say hotels are so shabby and bare-bones, they could pass for shanties from the Stalin era.
Hotel sinks spit toxic yellow water, toilets barely flush and half-built hotel lobbies have lured mangy packs of stray dogs, say visitors frustrated by cold and cramped conditions.
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“My hotel has no water. If restored, the front desk says, “do not use on your face because it contains something very dangerous,” tweeted visitor Stacy St. Clair, along with a photo of the eerie glowing liquid.
“Went to buy water … got accosted by 3-legged dog,” another visitor griped.
Three out of nine hotels in Sochi’s “mountain complex,” where many media members are staying , are only partly built — some dirty with shoddy electricity and no heat, the sports blog Deadspin.com reports.
Players on Canada’s hockey team were even forced to sleep, shoulder to shoulder, on hotel beds so narrow they could pass for a prison inmate’s.
Vladimir Putin spent seven years and $51 billion to prepare for the world renowned winter games — but many of the hotels were scrambling to get their acts together just three days before the games begin, visitors said.
In some cases, tired construction workers were spotted sleeping on-site at half-built hotels — and even the plumbing wasn’t up to par, visitors griped.
“Please do not flush toilet paper… Put it in the bin provided,” bathroom signs proclaim.
Guests, including reporters covering the games, took to Twitter to gripe about third-world accommodations.
“Congrats to @Dave_Schwartz only media personality who’s arrived in Sochi with a hotel room that’s ready, with doorknob that doesn’t fall off,” tweeted hockey reporter Ryan Stanzel.
Some hotels featured broken elevators, unlit stairways and exposed electrical outlets. Many had no lamps or shower curtains, according to a post on the Canada.com.
In some cases, tired construction workers were spotted sleeping on-site at partially built hotels.