Whenever a friend is visiting Portland, we love to recommend all our favorite restaurants, shops and hotels. We often praise the popular Ace Hotel for it's funky, one-of-a-kind vibe but recently, we found ourselves showing some out-of-towners another option.

The Nines has everything you would want from a hotel: central location, attentive service, beautifully decorated rooms, a fantastic restaurant...but it is also special for another reason. The hotel has recently been awarded the LEED Silver Certification, which makes it the leading sustainable hotel in the Pacific Northwest. Along with the environmental efforts, the hotel is known for supporting Portland's local artists and giving back to those who serve the community. The hotel is currently running a special: Give a Day, Get a Night for all those do-gooders who are willing to volunteer 8 hours of community service. In return for all that hard work, you receive a complementary night at the hotel. So, start volunteering and book a flight out to Portland!

(Images: starwoodhotels.com)