Years ago, I stayed at the Hilton Hotel during the Azerbaijan GP, which is located directly on the circuit. The Dutch manager at the time offered me and photographer Peter van Egmond a great room rate, I believe it was €125 per night.
The Hilton is in a prime location. I could simply write stories in my room (with a view of the paddock and start/finish) instead of the media center, which is located on the second floor of the hotel. Another advantage was that a lot of Formula 1 staff, including drivers and team bosses, stayed there. This way, you get to see and hear a lot, as normally the hotels they stay in are unaffordable for ordinary people (or journalists).
On Friday morning, I walked out of my room on the seventh floor and saw a beautiful woman walking out of the room next to mine at the same time. The scent of expensive perfume filled the hallway. She nodded, I politely said good morning and smiled. Because I knew that my neighbor, who is very well-known in the Formula 1 world (foreign), probably had a pleasant night. Just not with his own wife.
