Careful what you ask for: An edgy New Zealand Hotel chain has been gifted a human uterus. Photo / Hey Paul; Flickr, CC.20
Careful what you ask for: An edgy New Zealand Hotel chain has been gifted a human uterus. Photo / Hey Paul; Flickr, CC.20
After soliciting guests' most unusual objects, a Kiwi hotel has been donated a human uterus.
Amateur taxidermy and various pieces of anatomy are now being accepted as payment at a New Zealand hotel chain.
The disembodied reproductive tract is among the winning submissions for a promotion being run by QT hotels in New Zealand and Australia, asking guests to barter with their most unusual possessions in exchange for a free stay.
When the hotels threw down the gauntlet saying "nothing is too strange", guests took them at their word.
"In terms of submissions we've received so far, the craziest one is definitely an actual uterus," said a spokesperson for the bizarre marketing campaign.
Throughout the month of October the QT Hotel chain is giving away 365 nights across properties in Australia and New Zealand. Depending on the submission, judges of the curios are awarding winners between one night and one week of free stays for the most unique submissions.
A wonky bunny, fertility statue and locks of long hair were among the submissions that earned hotel stays. Photo / Supplied, QT
"Even if it isn't deemed worthy of a penthouse stay, it may get you a signature cocktail at the bar," says Tom Wenborn, the creative executive of the twisted promotion.
Among the current winning submissions there have been various donated body parts and a radioactive prophylactic.
The likeness of Akua'ba a fertility goddess from Ghana was one of the winning entries.
"So potent....just one touch before entering the bedroom, leads to pregnancy," said the donor - who advises wearing gloves when handling.
Equally odd but unrelated was an unused, hazmat-style condom from Chernobyl.
"It's probably no good as an actual condom but it's a great talking point," said the contributor who was rewarded with a night's stay.
A Chernobyl-themed prophylactic. Photo / Supplied; QT
As well as unwanted fertility treatments, guests put a lot of themselves into the entries. Body parts, toenails and discarded bits of anatomy was a leading theme.
One guest dubbed "Hairy Mairy" was rewarded with a stay for donating three preserved, plaited ponytails.
"I do get it out occasionally and pin it on my head to see if I want to grow it again but being nearly 70 it's probably a no," she said.
Among the honourable mentions were a scrapbook of 32 discarded shopping lists, collected by a bored supermarket worker and a stuffed bunny with seashell fangs.
"She's fluffy, a little wonky, and holds the magic of the ocean in her overbite."
A 'bored' supermarket worker exchanged a collection of lost shopping lists for a stay at the hotel. Photo / Supplied; QT
"We're looking forward to seeing all the weird and wonderful things our QTies will come up with in exchange for a stay at one of our unique properties," said Danelle Ayers, QT's Brand Director.
The final date for guests to submit curiosities is Halloween the 31 October, with winners announced the following Friday.
All selected objects will be used by Melbourne-based New Zealand designer Destroy All Monsters to create two 'Lamps of Chaos' installations. One of which will be on display in the QT Auckland, before being auctioned for charity by the New Zealand Arts Foundation.
