Fretful that rising gasoline prices might put the brakes on the traditional family summer road trip, a growing number of hotels and resorts are offering gas rebates as an incentive to go ahead and book a reservation.

The deals vary —- some spots deduct the rebate from your bill at checkout; others simply leave a gas card for you at the front desk when you check in. Some deals require a minimum stay. Be sure to ask questions about the terms and conditions.

Gas rebate promotions pop up whenever the price of gasoline breaks through a benchmark such as $2 a gallon or $3 a gallon, said Robert Mandelbaum of the Atlanta office of PKF Consulting, which does research and consulting for the travel industry.

While the marketing gimmick isn't new, "it is more pervasive this time around," Mandelbaum said.

The dozens of Florida Panhandle beach condominiums managed by ResortQuest are offering gas rebates of up to $100. Nineteen hotels and resorts at Panama City Beach are offering to help pay for gas.

People with rooms to rent may have some cause for concern. A survey released earlier this month shows 41 percent of those interviewed would change vacation plans if gas prices continue to rise. For those folks, that means trips closer to home, fewer trips and fewer nights away from home, according to the survey by the Travel Industry Association and the travel research firm Ypartnership.

A gas card is a more effective marketing tool than simply cutting the room rate, Mandelbaum said.

"People like the perception of value," he said. "A gas card seems more tangible."

Here is a sampling of gas rebate deals at hotels and resorts across the Southeast.

Crowne Plaza Resort

Asheville, N.C.; 828-254-3211; www.ashevillecp.com

Set on 125 acres just west of downtown, the 274-room hotel makes a good base camp for exploring Biltmore Estate and the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you want to stay put, there is a pool and clay tennis courts. Rates start at about $119 a night.

Deal: $25 gas card each night of stay, no minimum stay

Distance*: 207 miles

Free miles**: 161 per night

Marina Inn at Grande Dunes

Myrtle Beach, S.C.; 866-437-4113; www.marinainnatgrandedunes.com

The rooms of this AAA Four-Diamond hotel overlook the Intracoastal Waterway or the marina. The popular resort area has 100 golf courses and an array of attractions from Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede to the newly opened Hard Rock Park.

Deal: Guests get a credit of 20 cents per mile based on a one-way Mapquest review of the starting address. There is a three-night minimum. Rates start at $189 a night.

Distance*: 365

Free miles**: 471

InterContinental Tampa

Tampa; 866-915-1557; www.intercontampa.com

This 323-room luxury hotel is less than a year old and will serve as a team hotel for Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. The hotel is in the Westshore dining and shopping district. And you don't need to leave the hotel to get a good steak. There is a Shula's Steak House on the grounds.

Deal: $40 gas rebate credited to bill at checkout. There is a two-night minimum. Rates start at $149 a night.

Distance*: 461

Free miles**: 258

Pelican Beach Resort

Destin, Fla.; 888-735-4226; www.pelican-beach.com

If you get tired of the beach, there are three pools scattered across the 15-acre complex. There are also tennis courts and a video game room to send the kids to should it rain. Peak summer season weekly rate for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo is $2,191.

Deal: $100 card for stays of seven nights or more

Distance*: 364 miles

Free miles**: 645

* one-way from downtown Atlanta

** calculation based on 24 mpg —- average EPA highway estimate for minivans —- and gasoline price of $3.72/gallon, the national average, according to the federal Energy Information Administration