Bed, Breakfast, Gas
WHEN Matthew and Jennifer Hase of Beecher, Ill., were planning their first-anniversary getaway this month, they had no idea that apple cider would help fill their gas tank. Not literally, of course. Mr. Hase learned of a promotion offered by the bed-and-breakfast where he booked a reservation: buy a gallon of apple cider at a nearby orchard and the inn would give him a credit for two gallons of gasoline.
So last weekend, the couple stocked up on cider and received $10.80 -- the equivalent of four gallons of gas from the local station -- off their bill at the Kingsley House in Fennville, Mich. It was hardly retirement cash but, Mr. Hase said, ''Hey, a few bucks here, a few bucks there, it makes the trip a little better.''
The Hases had a wonderful weekend. But on their return, they learned that President Bush may have disapproved of their trip. On Monday, he asked people to ''pitch in'' and avoid nonessential travel in order to combat repercussions from the hurricanes.
Businesses don't seem to be listening. With stratospheric gas prices sidelining even short getaways, offbeat promotions like this one are on the rise. Businesses that rely on the motoring customer -- from inns to casinos to amusement parks -- have had to grab their share of the diminished revenue, and they are differentiating themselves by rewarding travelers with a prized commodity: gasoline.
Free-gas promotions, which began a few years ago when gas prices were moving up but the economy wasn't, have spilled over from the lodging industry into everyday life. Banks have used gas cards to lure new customers, apartment complexes have used them to attract new tenants. The American Red Cross even got into the act in the Pennsylvania-New Jersey region, giving away $2,000 of gasoline to one lucky blood donor in the summer.
But it's small B&B's that are dreaming up the most eye-catching ways to couch gas discounts, like the offer at the Kingsley House. Those discounts are especially popular now, with lovers of fall color ready to start taking leaf-peeping trips, which generally require driving.
''We needed to save the fall foliage season,'' said Marti Mayne, spokeswoman for BedandBreakfast.com, a worldwide database of small inns. ''And right now gas has a high perceived value. So we asked our members to create fuel promotions.'' Some 250 B&B's responded, she said.
One of the more innovative responses came from the Hummingbird Inn in Goshen, Va., where guests can earn a gallon of gas for every bag of leaves they collect. Raking may be an activity that causes childhood flashbacks, but ''we don't expect people to work that hard,'' said owner Dick Matthews. ''It's like picking strawberries.''
The inn felt the need to guard against overly ambitious guests by imposing a five-bag limit. But whether people want to take up a rake on a quiet weekend getaway has yet to be seen -- so far, no one has.
Other inns make free gas an easier proposition. At the Munro House B&B in Jonesville, Mich., guests get a $20 gas card by mentioning the password ''petroleum'' (when booking within 48 hours of the stay). And at the Homespun Country Inn in Nappanee, Ind., a $30 gas card is the reward for asking for the ''one-tank getaway'' -- an easily remembered phrase, as the inn is just 120 miles from Chicago.
Depending on the price of gasoline on a given day -- and the car you're driving -- these promotions can vary drastically in worth. Some, like the Hases' cider deal, barely break double digits. But the Inn at Cedar Falls in Logan, Ohio, will refund the price of a tank of gas (November to March, Sunday to Thursday) when guests fuel up their cars at a local station -- no matter how big the tank. ''Someone comes to me with a receipt for $75, that's how much I'll give them,'' said the owner, Ellen Grinsfelder. In other words, bring the Hummer.
The president and his entourage, perhaps, would prefer to opt for the deal at the York Street House in Lambertville, N.J.: its discount is tied to a car's fuel-efficiency rating. Bring a car that gets 10 miles a gallon, for example, and take 10 percent off (for the second night of a midweek stay); for 30 m.p.g., get 30 percent off. Ditch the car and ride mass transportation, and there's a full 50 percent off. Prufrock's Garden Inn by the Beach in Santa Barbara, Calif., is also rewarding mass transit riders, refunding the fare (Sunday to Thursday) for those who arrive on Amtrak's Pacific coastal trains, which stop a block from the inn.
Some of the discounts aren't tied to fuel efficiency, but to distance. The Colonial Capital Bed & Breakfast in Williamsburg, Va., gives its greatest reward to long-haul drivers. Guests who come from up to 100 miles away receive $25 in discounts; up to 200 miles, $30; 300 miles, $35; and over 300 miles, $40.
While inns may have some of the most imaginative deals, they are not alone. Even travelers who haven't yet bought their wheels can win free gas. Mitsubishi is offering a debit gas card worth $1,500 to $2,500 (depending on the model) for customers who buy before the end of October.
Take that free gas and go get more. Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Ga., offered a $5 gas card for every admission ticket bought in September, and the park is considering extending the deal. Or head to Niagara Falls in the next couple weeks, stay at a hotel on the American side of the river and enter the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation's contest to win a year's supply of gas, worth $1,500.
Even unlucky travelers -- and gamblers -- can get free gas. The Isle of Capri Casino in Bettendorf, Iowa, is giving away 7,777 gallons of gas starting tomorrow until Nov. 6. Play the slots at the Golden Phoenix in Reno (after joining the casino's free club) and accumulate points toward free gas. And those who sign up for the free club at Casino Hollywood in San Felipe, N.M., can take a spin on the ''Fuel-Pump'' slot for a chance to win gas vouchers worth up to $3,000.
Marinas, too, are offering deals. The Hontoon Landing Resort & Marina in DeLand, Fla., is offering a free tank of gas with a houseboat rental in October and November.
If all this free gas seems heaven sent, it may just be. Earlier this month, the Clearview Community Church in Sioux City, Iowa, began handing out $10 fuel vouchers to first-time visitors. It's inspired at least two other churches to offer free gas as well. In explaining his brainstorm, Clearview's pastor, the Reverend Shawn Raloff, seemed to speak not just for shepherds looking to expand their flocks, but for the immense number of businesses offering gas promotions these days: ''We're confident in our program,'' he said. ''We just need to get people here.''
