Holiday Inn opens NYC hotel made entirely of key cards

by Katie Hammel

As part of an effort to build buzz around the relaunch of 1200 Holiday Inn hotels this month, the lodging chain has opened a very special hotel in New York. It's not your average hotel though. It's made entirely of hotel key cards.

The "Key Card Hotel" was built by Guinness World Record holder Byran Berg, who first broke the record for "World's Tallest House of Freestanding Playing Cards" in 1992 at the tender age of 17. Since then, he's broken the record 10 times. Now he's created a life-size (though small at 400 square feet) hotel made of key cards. Visitors can't actually stay in the "hotel" (and would you really want to sleep on a bed of plastic?), but they can come marvel at Berg's creation, which is made of 200,000 cards and weighs two tons, tour the lobby, guest room, and bathroom, and learn about the Holiday Inn's "Keys to Change" promotion and the many improvements that will be taking place at the brand's properties. By the end of 2010, over 3000 hotels in the chain will be updated, at a cost of $1 billion, making it the "largest relaunch in the history of the hospitality industry".

As part of the promotion, guests can enter to win free nights at one of the relaunched Holiday Inn or Holiday Inn Express locations around the world. One grand prize winner will also receive a 3-day, 2-night trip to any Holiday Inn hotel in the world, including round-trip air transportation. To enter, just sign up on the promotion's website.

The Key Card Hotel will be open at New York's South Street Seaport from now until September 21. During the promotion, Berg will also create a 9-foot tall replica of the Statue of Liberty using playing cards in the lobby. The online contest runs until October 22nd.

Silicone breast explodes upon landing at Los Angeles airport

by Scott Carmichael

Here is one you don't hear every day - exploding breast implants (partially) caused by flying.

Irena D. was on her way from Moscow to Los Angeles on an unnamed airline.

When she boarded the plane, she was not feeling too well, but things really got out of hand when she stepped off the plane and collapsed. Apparently, one of her size F silicone implants had ruptured.

Doctors were quick to point out that the plane may not have been the main reason for the damage, but that the pressure difference could have accelerated an existing defect in the silicone product.

She is out of danger now, but is stuck in bed for at least a week. Doctors explained that she won't be able to have the breast implant replaced, though I'm not enough of an expert to know why, nor was I aware that a simple defect in a silicone implant could cause it to rupture like this. You really do learn something new every day.

Think Irena D made waves on her flight? Click the images below to see what havoc these girls caused on their flights.