The XXIX Olympiad will open on August 8; But with only several months to go, the Chinese still have some hurdles to overcome, including recruiting and training hotel staff for the myriad of high-end hotels that have been built specifically for the games.

Since the games were awarded to Beijing, the decision has been shrouded in controversy. Objections have been raised about China’s human rights record; Concerns have been raised about pollution levels in the Chinese capital; and many point to the country’s lack of experience in hosting a major sporting event of this scale.

But, quibbles aside, one of the biggest challenges surrounding the 2008 Olympics has been building and subsequently staffing a sufficient number of hotels in the Chinese capital, capable of accommodating the large number of early visitors for the games.

In addition to the construction challenge, there is an additional and probably more relevant problem, especially for luxury hotels; that of the level of service expected and associated with high-end hotels.

News emerged recently revealing that China’s current state-sponsored hotel rating system completely ignores service issues and focuses solely on the facilities offered in hotels. With service not even being considered in the rating system, it has led many in the global hospitality industry to wonder what they can expect when they attend the games with their high profile, corporate and high profile guests.

They are eagerly seeking assurances from hotel operators and game organizers that service levels at luxury hotels in the Chinese capital will be on a par with those provided in the rest of the world. However, it seems that it is a numbers game. There simply aren’t enough hotel workers familiar with the Western service ethic when it comes to luxury hotels, which means many hotel operators may have to try to bring in experienced staff from other countries. The first hurdle will be overcoming the high level of bureaucracy imposed by the Chinese regime, and the second will be that the fiercely proud hosts won’t want to show up to show they can’t cope by letting that happen.

Air pollution in the Chinese capital is touted as a potential problem for both competitors and visitors, with there even being talk of athletes competing wearing masks to filter out polluted air.

Human rights issues and the threat to athletes not to speak ill of the Chinese regime while at the games may be the stories that grab the headlines; But when the games get going, it may be the hotel operators’ total disregard for Western service ethic that causes the most trouble for visitors.