Wacky world - weekly offbeat travel roundup

(AFP PHOTO / HO / CRICKET AUSTRALIA)

A roundup of this week's offbeat travel stories from Relaxnews.

Buy a hotel on eBay
After the efforts of the Peninsula Tokyo, it seems renting an entire hotel is all the rage - one hotel in Miami has been placed on eBay. Prospective buyers could win control of the property for 24 hours from noon on December 31 for the ultimate NYE bash.
http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2010/10/buy-your-own-san-diego-hotel--for-24-hours/129212/1

It's just not cricket
As Big Ben is one of London's most iconic tourist attractions, defacing it can get you into serious trouble - as the Australians are about to find out. The Ozzie cricket team could face legal action after beaming a massive image warning Brits "don't forget to pack the urn," a reference to the forthcoming Ashes cricket series.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11650729

A winter wonderland, coming soon to Arizona
Dubai is famously the only place with a ski slope in the desert - but it may not be for long. Arizona is reportedly considering building an indoor snow theme park of its own, where kids can build snowmen and go sledding as though they lived in a real cold place.
http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/10/28/84528/631/travel/Arizona+May+Welcome+an+Indoor+Snow+Theme+Park

Getting cozy with the TSA
Passengers now know exactly what to expect if they choose to skip body scanners in the US, courtesy of MSNBC. Reports suggest that from October 28, TSA agents have been told to run the front of their hand up the inside of a passenger's leg, a procedure known as an "enhanced patdown." The choice between a scan or a patdown is informally known as the "scope or grope," we're told.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39889732/ns/travel-news/

Office shenanigans
If you've ever cringed during an awkward moment at work, spare a thought for the cabin crew on board one Qantas flight, who had to order a fellow employee (flying off-duty) to change seats after she was caught canoodling with a passenger.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/qantas-woman-in-mile-high-romp-probe/story-e6frf7l6-1225944912064