Palm Springs: $50 gas card comes with a room at the Riviera

There’s one upside to rising gas prices: Some hotels are bringing back the gas card as a perk. The Riviera Palm Springs offers a $50 gas card with your stay this spring. And with gasoline prices hovering around $4.40 a gallon in the L.A. area, who doesn’t need a little extra gas money?

The deal: The Riviera opened in the late 1950s and still has its historic, Midcentury glamour, although it was updated in 2008. Frank Sinatra performed here, and Elvis Presley visited with his band.

The Pump Up Your Stay offer gives guests a $50 gas card from Chevron, Shell, etc. Use the code “GASUP” when making a reservation by phone or online. Depending on what you drive, the card might cover the cost of your ride from L.A. to Palm Springs.

When: The offer is good through May 31.

Tested: On dates I tested, I found the perk available for a junior suite, which isn’t the most inexpensive room at the hotel, for $309 a night plus tax for a midweek stay April 4 and a weekend stay May 4.

Basically the cost of the gas card package is the same as the best available rate, so you do come out ahead. One caveat: You won’t find the deal available from mid- to late April, when the Coachella Music Festival comes to town.

Contact: Riviera Palm Springs, (760) 327-8311