THE Elbow Beach Hotel is to shut its doors for approximately three weeks to accommodate US television network, NBC.

NBC Sports has hired out the entire 236-room hotel for the duration of the Olympics as a perk for advertising executives whose companies have bought commercials with the network during the year's biggest sporting event.

The executives allegedly chose to watch the Olympics from Bermuda rather than the live showcase in Athens, Greece, because of security concerns. reported last month that the network had originally booked large numbers of hotel rooms and tickets to every Olympic event, but the executives asked that they change plans because "the security question has them terrified."

That is not the case according to a network spokesperson who said the arrangements were made two years ago but admitted security concerns had been addressed by NBC.

"I think where our employees work and sleep will be safe ... but I will not be encouraging our employees to wander off to a discotheque at two o'clock in the morning," quotes Dick Ebersol, head of NBC Sports as saying.

In an interview with earlier this year, the South Shore property's director of communications, Kendaree Burgess Fairn, said the benefits to the hotel would be "substantial". Though she declined to say what the hotel would make on the deal, Elbow's web site states its room rates for the period range from $485 per night for a single, to $1,040 for a three-bedroom Royal Suite.

"This piece of business came to us through our then director of sales and marketing, Randy Wilcott, who has a long-term relationship with NBC," said Mrs. Burgess Fairn. "They came here, there were several site visits, they liked what they saw."

The luxury hotel lost two restaurants ? Mickey's Beach Bar and Lido Restaurant ? and The Deep nightclub to Hurricane Fabian last year, but has since made renovations and is now fully functioning.

Elbow Beach ran an advertisement this week announcing that the Seahorse Grill, the Veranda Bar & Lounge, Blue Point, its spa and tennis courts, would be closed from August 13 through August 30.

Mickey's Beach Bistro & Bar will remain open for regular business.

The 2004 Summer Olympics opens August 11. Closing ceremonies are to be held on August 29.