Nearly 3,000 Olympic athletes living together in a modest village? Sounds like a smash-hit reality television show.

The Olympic Village is always a story of its own at the Games, as viewers try to comprehend exactly how the host city can house an influx of 3,000 of the world's best athletes and provide nearly 9,000 meals a day. (Perhaps the kitchen and cleaning crew deserve some gold medals of their own?)

Not only are the logistics fascinating, it's another example of the United States' favorite social experiment: way too many Gen Z-ers and millennials in a confined space. Social media has heightened this experience in recent Games, with several Olympians going viral on TikTok for pulling back the curtain on athlete lodging.

Here is a glimpse of life inside the Olympic Village...

With two official host cities and events spread across northern Italy, athletes are in a few different villages. Each location is in close proximity to Olympic venues, with athletes assigned to villages based on their respective sport. The organizers made a concerted effort to use as many existing hotels as possible and minimize construction to leave a small environmental footprint.

Anterselva Olympic Village

The Anterselva Olympic Village is home to the biathletes and is a hop, skip and a jump from the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena. The village is situated in a valley and contains four hotels. It particularly prides itself on immersing guests in the culture and unique traditions of the region.

Bormio Olympic Village

Bormio has earned the nickname of Magnifica Terra — the "Magnificent Land" — because of its thermal springs, forests and snow-capped peaks. The Bormio Olympic Village consists of four hotels and is home to men's Alpine skiing and ski mountaineering athletes.

Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympic & Paralympic Village

Located in Fiames, in the heart of the Dolomites, the Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympic & Paralympic Village is one of the largest of this year's games. The village, with a capacity of 1,400 beds, has a series of modular residential units connected by accessible pathways that lead to communal areas such as dining facilities and athletic preparation zones. It houses curlers, athletes from sliding sports, women's Alpine skiers, and para snowboarders. Nearly 4,000 meals are prepared every day at the Cortina Village. 

Livigno Olympic Village

Amid the majestic peaks of the Italian Alps, the Livigno Olympic Village comprises three existing hotels. With a capacity of approximately 800 beds for delegations, the village offers widespread and well-integrated accommodation that emphasizes sustainability. It is located 1.24 miles from the center of Livigno and approximately 124 miles from Milano Malpensa Airport. Livigno is the home of snowboarding and freestyle skiing events. 

Milano Olympic & Paralympic Village

Milan's Olympic Village is one of the most significant construction projects of this year's Games. It is a forward-thinking project, built with the awareness of the impact it will leave on the community. "Located between the vibrant nightlife of Porta Romana and the post-industrial elegance of the Fondazione Prada," the village blends Italian hospitality with state-of-the-art facilities. It has everything an Olympic athlete needs to land on the podium and will be its own "city within a city." It will provide around 1,700 beds, and around 4,500 meals will be served daily.

After March 2026, the residences will be converted into student housing, integrating into a broader urban redevelopment plan that will reconnect Milan's center with the surrounding areas. The strategic location places it close to the Milano Santagilia Ice Hockey Arena and near San Siro stadium, which was used for the Opening Ceremony. 

Predazzo Olympic & Paralympic Village

This village was constructed using a combination of existing facilities, renovated pavilions and new structures within the Alpine School of the Guardia di Finanza. Located in the heart of Predazzo, a town deeply connected to Nordic skiing, the project aims to provide optimal facilities for Games participants while also ensuring a sustainable post-Olympic future with minimal impact on the surrounding area. There are 700 beds available for delegations and will primarily host cross-country skiers and ski jumping athletes.

No, some athletes choose to stay in hotels and alternative lodging. The village, a cluster of dorms for thousands of athletes, is an unparalleled opportunity to meet new people and build camaraderie, but it is not exactly conducive to competitors who rely on routine.

Most notably, Canada's men's hockey team is staying in a five-star hotel instead of the village. Canadian GM Doug Armstrong said that this is no different from other tournaments and he wanted to give the players the option to stay where they're most comfortable. Meanwhile, Brady Tkachuk and Team USA are staying in the Olympic Village for the entirety of the tournament, saying, "We want the full experience."

Famously, the U.S. men's basketball team has been staying at hotels since the 1992 Summer Olympics. At the 2024 Paris Games, Coco Gauff spoke about how her teammates had all left the village, but why she decided to stay. 

"At first I was going to move, and then I kept meeting all these amazing athletes staying in the village, and then Rafa [Nadal] is staying in the village," she said. "So I was like, if he can do it, I can do it. But I understand why my teammates left."

Reviews from Milan have been positive thus far, with many sharing that the Italian fare takes the cake. Jutta Leerdam, who set the Olympic record for the women's 1000m en route to her first gold medal, has posted several videos on her TikTok showcasing the offerings.

TikTok and Instagram have opened the floodgates for Olympic behind-the-scenes content, with cuisine at the forefront.

Drinking alcohol, smoking and partying are prohibited on Olympic Village premises, though that would not seem to be a major problem for world-class Olympic athletes. Still, that does not mean athletes don't want the occasional non-alcoholic beer.

Corona is the official sponsor of the spa in the Olympic Village and has non-alcoholic beer available in the Corona House. Check out the unbelievable spa in Swiss snowboarder Jonas Hasler's TikTok.

While the villages offer dining halls and high-tech fitness centers, it also includes free services such as beauty salons, gaming rooms and yoga classes. Get a look inside the village with a two-part series featuring U.S. ice dance couple Vadym Kolesnik and Emilea Zingas. 

The International Olympic Committee actually encourages all athletes to share their experience at the Games on social media, but they do have to follow specific guidelines. While athletes can take photos and videos within the Olympic Village, there are restricted areas like medical spots and doping control stations. They also must respect the privacy of others and are not allowed to capture the content of other residents without their consent.

These restrictions are no problem for U.S. hockey player Taylor Heise's viral room tour.

Athletes and sport-specific team officials have to arrive exactly five days before the start of their discipline/sport, but they cannot stick around more than two days after they wrap up their competition.