Well, unbeknownst to me when I booked our stay at the Park Plaza Hotel during the Olympics that it was one of the “official” hotels for the IOC. This basically meant that on the slight downside we had to go through security checks every time we entered. But on the upside, everyone there had an interesting story to tell. For instance, our hotel was the living quarters for the Olympic Arbitration Board which was comprised of 12 lawyers from around the world who were on 24 hour duty to pass judgment on any controversies which may arise. Luckily, it was a fairly uneventful Olympics; therefore, these fine gentlemen and families had plenty of time to enjoy the sights and sounds of Beijing and also could attend any Olympic event they chose. There was also George Raveling (former basketball coach of USC and all around great guy), Gold Medal track man, Carl Lewis, and, oh yes, the Argentinean Football (Soccer) team, plus many, many more members of the worldwide Olympic Community. The hotel itself, which backs up to its sister hotel, The Regent, is an understated and extremely pleasant hotel. No large flashy lobby or pool, but everything else that affords a wonderful stay. It’s tucked away between buildings and down a side street, thus leaving taxi drivers sometimes perplexed.