The latter, an Olympic gold medallist turned BBC pundit, is standing on the 12th-floor patio of the newly opened Staybridge Suites Stratford City bringing her infectious enthusiasm to the damp east London morning.

Lewis is an ambassador for IHG, the hotel group behind the (at least for Britain) fledgling Staybridge brand.

This, the third of its kind in the UK, sits just an errant javelin throw from the stadium on which the eyes of the world will be focused this summer.

Its floor-length windows facilitate some serious rubber-necking of the Olympic Park's elegant structures (and the Orbit). The curvaceous, Zaha Hadid-designed Aquatics Centre sits in the foreground next to the water polo arena while, just out of sight, is the athletes' village. In what is an Olympics first, this will be co-run by Staybridge Suites' sister chain, Holiday Inn.

Formally opened this week by Denise and top rhythmic gymnast Frankie Jones, the 162-room hotel occupies the top floors of a block that also includes a Holiday Inn.

The Staybridge ethos is "home from home" with extended stays the target market. My suite had sufficient self-catering facilities to prepare a dinner party (if not to host one) while also being equipped with a super-king bed, paper-thin wall-mounted television and slick bathroom with rainforest shower.

A complimentary breakfast is served in the kitchen while The Pantry is a 24-hour convenience store stocked with plenty of idiot-proof meals. If you do tire of preparing your own food, the hotel is encircled by Europe's biggest shopping centre, Westfield Stratford City, which boasts countless restaurants.

Alternatively, the Holiday Inn below has its own restaurant, Twenty Twelve. The night my wife and I visited coincided with some sort of kitchen meltdown; a marathon wait and a pork dish that, in terms of succulence, was more medal than medallion.

Still, as Denise will tell you, the Olympics is all about hitting form at the right time.

Staybridge Suites (0203 301 9090/ichotelsgroup.com/staybridge) offers doubles from £132 (two sharing), B&B.