The Countryside Hotels group initiative is actually meant to encourage spouses to spend time together and work on their relationship, the Swedish NWT news website reports. It's offering a "relationship guarantee" on mini-breaks at its hotels, so if things subsequently don't work out and the marriage ends within a year, then the chain says it will reimburse the cost of a two-night stay.

Petra Fagrell Jansson, who runs one of the hotels, isn't worried about it becoming an expensive offer. She tells NWT that a trip could be exactly what people need to resolve their marital troubles. "Everyone needs a bit more time for their relationships and a little break from everyday life," she says.

There is some fine print: couples must be already married, stay in the same room and reference the relationship guarantee when booking. If they subsequently divorce and want to claim a refund, they have to submit court documents as evidence.

Marketing officer Anna Madsen tells The Local that some people have been surprised by the idea and asked if it's actually a joke, but the offer is real. She says the "radical approach" is designed make people realise "how beneficial it can be to get away for a while and devote time to each other".