Sochi organizers say three hotels not ready for media

February 1, 2014: The Caucasus Mountains, site of the 2014 Winter Olympic outdoor snow sport and sliding track events, rise above a recently built housing complex, at left, near the Olympic Park by the Black Sea in the Coastal Cluster in Sochi, Russia. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

With less than a week remaining before the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Russian Olympic officials have admitted that only six of the nine media hotels in the area are fully operational.

With thousands of journalists expected to pour into the Black Sea resort in the days leading up to the opening of the games Friday, the International Olympic Committee is urging organizers to move quickly to resolve the issue. Some media have already arrived in Sochi and found themselves with no place to stay.

"There are still some issues to be solved as always just before the games," IOC President Thomas Bach said. "We are in contact with the organizing committee and we hope that the situation will be solved in the next couple of days."

The matter was being examined Sunday at a meeting of the International Olympic Committee executive board.

The Russian government has spent $51 billion on the Olympics in the hopes of turning the Black Sea summer resort into a year-round tourism destination.

While pre-games attention has focused on cost overruns, threats of terrorist attacks and the Russian law banning gay "propaganda" among minors, the hotel situation could become an embarrassment for local organizers.

Organizers estimate that up to 6,000 media will be arriving in Sochi on Monday. About 11,000 media overall are expected to be covering Russia's first Winter Games.

IOC vice president John Coates of Australia said he was expecting an update on the situation from Sochi organizers at Sunday's meeting.

"It's obviously very important," he said.

IOC press commission chairman Kevan Gosper took the issue to the executive board and was working with Gilbert Felli, the executive director of the Olympic Games, in discussions with Sochi organizers.

"We've alerted them that a lot of people are coming in and particularly of the difficulty still in the mountains," Gosper said. "They are aware it's a serious issue."

Gosper said servicing of the hotels was now the major problem.

"The accommodation is there, but serving the accommodation is the challenge," he said.

Organizers said in a statement Saturday that media who arrive to find an incomplete room will be given new accommodation, some with an upgrade.

"Within the three remaining hotels, the rooms are currently going through the final testing process and check of their services," the organizing committee said. "At the end of the testing process guests will then be accommodated in the hotels they initially booked."

Bach, meanwhile, praised Sochi's overall readiness for the games, which open on Friday.

"Things are going very well," he said. "I had a good opportunity yesterday to visit the Olympic Village and to speak with a lot of athletes and they were all very happy and excited about the conditions in the Olympic village.

"The sports facilities are ready. The stage is set for the best winter athletes of the world, and we are very confident that we will have excellent games."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.