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Bits: Hilton boost Waldorf Astoria status benefits, £100 Amex / Royal Lancaster offer

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News in brief:

Hilton Honors improves Gold and Diamond benefits at Waldorf Astoria hotels

Hilton Honors has announced a small but welcome improvement to their programme which removes one of the anomalies.

From Monday, all Waldorf Astoria properties will offer complimentary continental breakfast or an equivalent credit for all Gold and Diamond members and a guest.  A Diamond member will get it automatically but a Gold member must select it via their MyWay benefits.

This was always one of the things about Hilton Honors that annoyed me.  Luckily, on my last Waldorf Astoria stay in Beijing at Easter (reviewed here, picture of the hutong it owns below) the hotel wasn’t having any of that nonsense and was giving free breakfast to Diamond members anyway.

The change is long overdue.  I struggle to see the difference between Conrad and Waldorf Astoria hotels (Conrad is arguably more business focused) and Conrad properties have always given free breakfast.

You can see the full list of status benefits on this page of the Hilton website.

Remember that there are three ways to Hilton status without doing the necessary stays:

Via Hilton Platinum Visa – free Silver status for as long as you hold the card and Gold after spending £10,000 in a calendar year

Via Amex Platinum – free Gold status for as long as you hold the card

Via a status match to any other hotel status you hold – see this article for how to do it 

PS.  Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Hilton Honors points.  That page is regularly updated with the latest special offers and will still be accurate even if you are reading this article months after publication.

£100 Amex cashback at the Royal Lancaster hotel in London

If you need a London hotel in January, American Express has launched a cashback deal with the plush Royal Lancaster next to Lancaster Gate tube.  It is close – walkable with no luggage – to Paddington.  Its main claim to fame is the fantastic view over Hyde Park.

You will get £100 cashback on a £250 spend at the hotel before 31st January.  I have this offer showing on both my Platinum and Starwood American Express cards so it seems quite widespread.  Remember to opt in via the ‘Offers’ page of your online statement.

There is also a 15% cashback deal for Firmdale Hotels on my account.  Firmdale is the operator of Ham Yard, The Soho Hotel, The Haymarket Hotel and various other designer boutique properties in central London.

Waldorf Astoria and Mandarin Oriental expand in London

Speaking of Waldorf Astoria, the brand has, in my view surprisingly, been chosen to operate the new very high profile luxury hotel to open in London’s Admiralty Arch in 2022.  It will be a relatively modest property at just 96 rooms.

It will be interesting to see if this forces the Waldorf Hilton Hotel to change its name.  I know from reader emails that many people think this is part of the Waldorf Astoria brand – it isn’t, it is a Hilton – and the two hotels will be just five minutes walk apart.

Meanwhile, Mandarin Oriental is putting its name to a boutique hotel on Hanover Square in a site currently occupied by Crossrail construction.  With just 50 hotel rooms but 80 multi-million pound Mandarin-branded ‘residences’ (ie flats) attached, I tend to see these projects as rather cynical cash-ins by the brands.

Over by Hyde Park, construction has also started on London’s first Peninsula hotel.  Directly opposite the Lanesborough, the old 1960’s office block on the site has now been demolished.  The hotel is due to open in 2021.

Hotel offers update – April 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

  • Hilton Honors is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 14th May 2024. Click here.
Category

American Express Gold card, American Express Platinum card, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy

Comments (63)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • TripRep says:
    30 Dec30 December 03:15

    Great news on the Waldorf, now looking at going back to the Caley in Edinburgh. When I stayed there a couple of years ago they were temporarily overruling the Global policy on Breakfast for Dec/Jan.

    • RM84 says:
      30 Dec30 December 09:30

      I’m there at the moment and thought we were just lucky when they offered to throw in breakfast for us (I’m Hilton Gold). It would have been very frustrating to realise we’d missed the new policy by a few days so smart move on their part.

    • Trev says:
      30 Dec30 December 10:05

      The Caley also did that for me as a Hilton Gold in April ‘16, only annoyance was I’d paid the B&B rate assuming I wouldn’t get breakfast included at a WA!

  • Wivus says:
    30 Dec30 December 07:02

    Good timing for Waldorf. In the Rome version in a couple of weeks time. I must admit though that the last time I stayed in a Waldorf, in Orlando two years ago, they very kindly threw in breakfast without me asking anyhow. Either that or they forgot to charge me.

  • JamesB says:
    30 Dec30 December 07:13

    Probably, so long as the payment goes through the normal hotel payment system and the restaurant does not have it”s own payment system in a different name.

  • Nick says:
    30 Dec30 December 07:18

    I’d be surprised if Hilton got rid of the “Waldorf” name for the Aldwych property, especially with it’s long history, dating back to it’s construction in the late 19th century with the financial input of William Waldorf Astor, who it was named after.

    It’s one of my favorite London hotels and I try to stay there at least once or twice a year if I can.

  • Andrew says:
    30 Dec30 December 07:48

    I used 3x cards at their Nipa Thai Restaurant in December and all went through. Drinks at the Lounge Bar also came through on the statement as Royal Lancaster so it looks like same payment system throughout.

  • totaltool says:
    30 Dec30 December 08:02

    Slightly O/T but Hilton related. Got Gold status on HH and travelling to several Aus/NZ cities in March and April and planning to use Hilton where available. I know from comments on this site that Gold means little in the USA but is it a good benefit in these countries? I have had some seriously impressive upgrades / free breakfasts in UK and Europe and wondered how well that worked out in Australia and NZ

    • Dave H says:
      30 Dec30 December 08:27

      I have travelled throughout Oz over the years staying in most of the major locations and have always had an upgrade and free full breakfast both as Gold and Diamond, inc Exec rooms where available. Where are you planning to visit?

      • totaltool says:
        30 Dec30 December 08:29

        Sydney, Christchurch, Wellington,Auckland, Melbourne, Alice Springs, Cairns then back to Sydney (9 weeks!)

        • Dave H says:
          30 Dec30 December 08:45

          Not done NZ but in Oz:
          Sydney – Gold – upgrade Exec room
          Melbourne – can’t help as have not stayed at the Double Tree, the best used to be South Wharf but that has changed to a Pan Pacific, and they also had one opposite the MCG, upgrades at both to Exec rooms
          Alice Springs upgraded to a ‘mountain’ view suite looking out over the golf course, no exec lounge facilities at this hotel.
          I have stayed at the Double Tree in Cairns but not the Hilton as it was full when we were there, again no exec lounge at the DT but upgraded to a decent room overlooking the esplanade.
          Full breakfast at all hotels.
          I assume you are doing Uluru from ASP? One of my best upgrades was a Hertz car rental at the airport from a Toyota Yaris to a Land Cruiser!

        • lady London says:
          30 Dec30 December 10:08

          You lucky bl*ghter!

        • Alan says:
          31 Dec31 December 18:15

          DT Melbourne Flinders St has a reasonable breakkie spread – ate it for a week when staying there before starting work! Sadly as Dave says the South Wharf is no longer a Hilton.

          Mind you this time I’m opting for Airbnb – for a week it’s much better value than a points or cash redemption!

    • John says:
      30 Dec30 December 09:50

      Have stayed in many Aus/NZ Hiltons:

      – as Gold, unlikely to get lounge access or a “seriously impressive” upgrade, but will usually get a better room than the one booked
      – will always get the full breakfast if that is the chosen option, but slightly annoying is that many of them charge extra for barista-made coffee at breakfast
      – the Hiltons are quite centrally located which means pricing can be ridiculous – seriously consider alternatives further away before deciding on the Hiltons

  • Genghis says:
    30 Dec30 December 08:29

    Good news re WA. We got breakfast free as Diamonds in Shanghai last year and IMO one of the best I’ve had.

  • Jude says:
    30 Dec30 December 09:39

    Want to use 2 free nights vouchers and points for a 3 night stay in NY . Whilst me and OH earn the vouchers should we book the 3 night stay on a flexible reservation to make sure there is availability? This is for Hilton in NYC.

    • John says:
      30 Dec30 December 09:55

      Certainly book the points night right away.

      If you have enough points you can book the other two nights too. You would be unlucky if they were not rebookable with the vouchers after cancelling the points bookings but it could happen.

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