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The hotel will take “anything” as payment, as far as it is gold. (Image courtesy of the Rydges Resort and Spa Kalgoorlie).
A hotel in the Wild West mining town of Kalgoorlie, in West Australia, is now allowing travellers to settle bills for accommodation with gold nuggets, bars, rings and “anything” as long as it’s the shiny yellow metal.
The idea, reports ABC, came up in light of the upcoming Diggers and Dealers mining conference, to take place in Kalgoorlie from August 4 to 6, but the resort manager Nicholas Parkinson-Bates said he plans to let people pay with gold all year round.
“Everyone here knows the value of gold – it’s sort of a way of life in Kalgoorlie,” he was quoted as saying.
According to the manager of the Rydges Resort and Spa, located 600km east of Perth, trading in gold was standard practice in Kalgoorlie-Boulder in the late 1800s and there are still a few businesses that accept the precious metal as payment.
“People buy cars in gold here (…) I’ve also heard of some other types of businesses even doctors and stuff who have been accepting gold,” Parkinson-Bates told AAP.
Transactions will be carried out through a local buyer with connections to Perth Mint.
Parkinson-Bates noted he would still take a credit card to hold for any extras the guests may spend.
So far no one has paid the hotel in gold yet.
