Make a baby, get rewarded

A Sicilian hotel chain is giving away free weekends to couples who conceive their babies during their stay.

"Let your love bloom under the sun of Sicily. Come and conceive your child in the land of love. After the birth, we'll offer you a free weekend in our hotel," trumpets the 22-member Hotels del Sole in an Internet advertising campaign. The cheeky campaign is the brainchild of director Armando LaMattina, who said he wants to promote Sicily "as a land of love and serenity far from the negative stereotypes which no longer exist".

"We want to link the memories of a holiday in Sicily to something which is very special — conceiving a child is the most beautiful action that you can possibly think of," the Website says. Couples who stay at any of the 22 hotels in 2005 can return to claim their free weekend "between eight and 10 months after their first visit."

There's a catch, of course. They also must be accompanied by the fruits of their passion, which is likely to prevent them perpetuating the offer.