Sunday, April 20, 2008
While airlines rush to impose fuel surcharges on beleaguered passengers, hotels around the United States are taking the opposite tack: They're offering rebates to offset the high cost of gas.
What follows is a small selection of current offers. Before making a reservation at any hotels, ask if they are offering a fuel rebate.
Hilton hotels in certain locations are offering gas cards with any stay. At the Hilton Santa Fe in New Mexico, for example, guests receive a $20 gas card for each night they stay.
At the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel & Waterfront Conference Center in Portsmouth, Va., guests can use promotion code P53 for a gas package including a $25 gas card and free in-room movie.
In Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., guests who stay at the WaterColor Inn for three nights or more can turn in their gas receipts from their drive to the Gulf Coast and get a refund of up to $200. The offer runs through May 23. Details: www.watercolorresort.com/gas_rebate_release.aspx.
In New Hampshire, the Inn at Mill Falls in Meredith ( www.millfalls.com) is offering a $20-per-night gas voucher to guests, while the Highlands Inn in Bethlehem ( www.highlandsinn-nh.com), an inn for women, will give guests who stay for two nights rebates of up to $50 based on how far they drive. Hybrid car drivers get 30 cents a mile for the gas it takes them to get to the northern New Hampshire inn, while conventional car drivers get 25 cents a mile. The offer runs through May 31.
In some cases, the promotions are being billed as both a way to take the sting out of $4-a-gallon gas and as a way to help the environment.
In Mendocino, guests who spend two nights at the Stevenswood Lodge get a $50 gas card. Those who arrive in a hybrid or biofuel vehicle get an additional $100 off their bill.
"If this helps people enjoy what's in their backyard, rather than flying or driving long distances, we think it's going to help the environment," said Mike Webster, the hotel's manager.
The promotion runs through Sept. 30. Details: www.stevenswood.com/gaspromo.html.
Staff and wire services