London Olympics floats new ideas

London 2012 Olympic chiefs are considering creating a chain of floating hotels to accommodate visitors for the games, as businesses start to think about ways in which they too can cash in.

With most hotels expected to be fully booked, plans are reportedly being discussed to offer rooms in at least three cruise liners that will be docked on the River Thames.

The “flotels” will be five kilometers from the Olympic Park in Stratford, allowing easy access to the main site in East London. The option to dock riverside will also be open to those with their own yachts.

Mark Upton, director of MGMT – the agents responsible for leasing the docking berths for such flotels – says demand is high.

“We are very excited to see such levels of interest from yachts so far. We were always confident they would book for the Olympics, but expected this to happen later this year,” he says.

Meanwhile, those visiting the capital are expected to pay up to 10 times the normal amount for a hotel room.

As the world gears itself up for the games, there are opportunities for start-ups to develop offerings around the event, regardless of where they are. What ideas can local businesses build on?