While roaring jets transport more than 1.6 million passengers each year through Portland International Jetport, downtown Portland, Maine -- decked out in cobblestone streets, Victorian mansions and old-fashioned gas lamps -- harkens back to a simpler time. Spend the day kayaking upon the blue waters of Casco Bay, chowing down on lobster rolls at a cozy sidewalk cafe or touring the boyhood home of esteemed romantic poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow before making a trek back to the airport. Book a room at an area hotel via a park-and-fly package, and you can leave your car behind as you fly out of Portland on another travel adventure.
For easiest airport access, stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Portland Airport, which shares a parking lot with the Portland International Jetport. The hotel has a “Park, Stay and Fly” package, which after one night’s stay allows you to leave your car at the hotel for between four and seven days. The package also includes complimentary airport shuttle service. The hotel has a 24/7 lobby market with snacks and beverages and a grill and bar with a fireplace and big-screen televisions. Less than a five-minute drive from the airport, Clarion Portland Hotel has a “Park and Fly” package that includes transportation to the airport and up to 14 days of parking. The hotel allows pets as well, completely free of charge. There’s also a heated indoor swimming pool and hot tub.
You’ll find a flurry of hotels a little more than seven minutes north of the airport. Surrounded by five acres of pristine open space, Inn at Portland is a small hotel with an on-site Asian bistro. The hotel has a “Park and Fly” deal that lets you leave your car for an indefinite period of time, free of charge, once you leave for the airport. Howard Johnson Plaza-Portland provides free 24-hour shuttle service to the airport, as well as the “Park Before You Fly” deal, which includes up to 20 days of hotel parking. Fireside Inn and Suites-Portland has upscale guest rooms with fireplaces and whirlpool tubs, and offers “Park and Fly” deals with complimentary parking for seven days and free shuttle service. All three hotels are approximately 10 minutes by car from the Fore River Sanctuary, an 85-acre nature preserve dotted with marshland, waterfalls and 2 miles worth of hiking trails.
Nestled along Interstate 95 in South Portland, Portland Marriott at Sable Oaks and Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites are just a five-minute drive from Portland International Jetport. Portland Marriott has a host of recreational amenities, including an on-site golf course and indoor swimming pool. Dine at the hotel’s steakhouse or order dinner from one of the many nearby restaurants that deliver. Holiday Inn Express serves up free breakfast each morning. The dog-friendly hotel allows pets, pending a deposit, and hands out treats at check-in. Both hotels have park-and-fly deals with free parking for up to seven days and complimentary shuttle service to your terminal.
Hampton Inn Portland-Airport in South Portland uses the same parking lot as the Maine Mall, an indoor shopping center with more than 140 shops and restaurants. The hotel, a little more than five minutes from Portland International Jetport, has free hot breakfast each morning and in-room microwaves and refrigerators. You can sign up for the “Park, Stay n Go!” deal, which includes 14 days of parking following a one-night stay. Five minutes from the mall, Best Western Merry Manor Inn is a 10-minute drive to the airport. The “Park and Fly” package includes one night’s stay with complimentary breakfast, airport transportation and 30 days of parking. Relax with a dip in the whirlpool with a waterfall and the heated indoor/outdoor pool. Kids 12 and under stay free.
