L.A. Confidential #4: Countries begin securing locations for LA28 Olympic Hospitality Houses

A round-up of the latest Olympic news from LA, including the Mayor promising tickets will be more affordable than the World Cup and calling for Donald Trump to reassure visitors about their safety

Olympic Hospitality Houses have come a long way from the first official public venture in Barcelona at a Summer Games in 1992, when the brewer Heineken and the Dutch Olympic Committee pioneered the idea.

What started as a simple tent in Barcelona Harbour, creating a dedicated space for Dutch athletes and fans to celebrate, has now grown into a major part of the Olympic experience with countries using the space to promote their heritage, culture, and cuisine.

Four years before Heineken House in Barcelona 1992, the National Olympic Committee and the German Sports Confederation had established “Deutsches Haus” at the Winter Olympic Games in Calgary as a private central social hub for the West German team, featuring press conferences, live television coverage of events and celebrations. German House has appeared at almost every Olympic Games since.

What Germany and the Netherlands started has now grown into an industry of its own. There were 45 identifiable hospitality houses at both London 2012 and Paris 2024, with 20 set to open their doors for next month’s Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The race to find suitable locations in Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic Games is now well underway, with France the latest country close to securing a deal for a site.