Holiday shopping: Portland hotels hand out cash and discounts

Portland, Ore. is calling all holiday shoppers -- or at least those who appreciate bargains found outside the mall. Stay at selected hotels and receive discount coupons and free parking. It gets better: Some places throw in $50 cash for a shopping spree. Sweet!

The deal: I like the Portland Perks Package (which sounds more like coffee-crazed Seattle, doesn’t it?) because you have so many hotels to choose from. It requires a two-night stay and includes overnight parking and a discount book with coupons for businesses such as the iconic Powell’s City of Books, restaurants and more. Some hotels include the $50 cash bonus, so peruse the list carefully if that is your main incentive.

When: Good for stays through Dec. 20.

Tested: I went to the Portland Perks Web page and filtered for downtown hotels for a stay starting Dec. 17. I checked out the Paramount Hotel because it had a rate I liked ($139 plus tax per night), a central downtown location and the $50 giveaway. I also found the same price and cash offer at Hotel Fifty, which overlooks the Willamette River and Tom McCall Waterfront Park. See what I mean? Lots of choices.

Here’s how the savings stack up: At Hotel Fifty, the room alone, without the package, costs $139 per night, the same price as the package, at the best available rate listed on the website. So $50 cash and $40 in parking fees provide a neat discount -- and that’s before using the coupons.

Contact: Travel Portland, (877) 678-5263