Tonight:
5°c
BBC director-general Mark Thompson claimed £647.50 of public money on one night's stay at a five-star Las Vegas hotel featured in the George Clooney film Ocean's Eleven.
The head of the corporation stayed at the Bellagio, which describes itself as the home of "contentment and opulence", when he travelled to the American city in January for the Consumer Electrical Show conference.
The bill helped make up the £3,364 expenses claims that Mr Thompson put in between April and June this year.
The director-general also claimed £266.25 for a night in the Westin Bellevue hotel in Washington and £731.10 for a business class return flight to Sweden in May. He spent a further £253.48 making "urgent business calls" from a hotel on 10 January and also claimed £90 for parking meters and £145 for minicabs.
Mr Thompson was joined in Las Vegas by the BBC's director of future media and technology, Erik Huggers, who spent two nights at the Bellagio at a cheaper room rate totalling £722.06.
The Bellagio, famous for its dancing water fountains, is a favourite of BBC executives. In June it emerged that the corporation's former director of future media and technology, Ashley Highfield, paid £1,430.08 for a meal for 29 people at the hotel.
Other BBC bosses also claimed thousands in expenses this year.
Caroline Thomson, chief operating officer, took more than 100 taxis from April to June costing a total of £3,479.72 - including £247.65 on three minicabs on 8 April. Tim Davie, director of audio and music, spent £790.63 on 22 minicabs in three months.
Chief financial officer Zarin Patel spent £361.13 on a leaving party for former HR boss Stephen Kelly and £106.59 on a dinner to brief his successor Lucy Adams. BBC1 controller Jay Hunt, who is on a pay package of £272,800, claimed £29.74 for a bottle of spirits and £37.94 for flowers on 15 May.
