Hilton Honors changes its US free breakfast benefit

Hilton Honors has decided to make a temporary change to its breakfast benefit at its US hotels.

You should have received an email from Hilton’s CEO this week outlining what the chain is doing to win you back this Summer. There were two versions of this email, and only the one sent to US members mentioned the breakfast change.

From July until the end of 2021, Gold and Diamond members will no longer receive free breakfast in US hotels unless the hotel offers free breakfast to all guests.

Instead, guests will receive a credit to use against food and drink in the hotel.

The value of this credit will vary by brand and has not yet been announced, but an alleged leaked internal document published on Reddit states it will be:

• $25 per person for ‘luxury’ brands
• $12 ($15 in ‘high cost’ cities) per person for ‘full service’ and ‘lifestyle’ brands
• $10 per person for Hilton Garden Inn

…. for a maximum of two guests per room. Credit cannot be accrued or rolled over from day to day.

Gold members will receive an alternative offer of some Hilton Honors points.

Diamond members will receive the cash credit AND some Hilton Honors points. We don’t know how many points, although it is possible that it is just referring to the standard 1,000 points ‘My Way’ welcome benefit.

It isn’t clear cut whether this is a good deal or not:

• the credit is unlikely to cover a full breakfast but would allow a handful of items from an a la carte menu (and the ‘free breakfast’ benefit is only meant to cover a continental breakfast, although most hotels turn a blind eye to that rule) – but if the only option is a buffet, you are likely to come up short

• many US hotels have switched to ‘brown bag’ breakfasts, so a credit which can be used against drinks or an evening meal may actually be preferable to a paltry free breakfast

• for anyone who doesn’t eat breakfast in the hotel, it is a clear win

Of course, with US travel still blocked, it doesn’t make a lot of difference at the moment. By the time the US opens up we will know what the actual sums are and you will be able to decide based on that whether Hilton should get your business.

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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (January 2025)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit and debit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

There are two dedicated Hilton Honors debit cards. These are especially attractive when spending abroad due to the 0% or 0.5% FX fee, depending on card.

You also receive FREE Hilton Honors status for as long as you hold the debit cards – Gold status with the Plus card and Silver status with the basic card. This is a great reason to apply even if you rarely use it.

We reviewed the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card here and the Hilton Honors Debit Card here.

You can apply for either card here.

NEW: Hilton Honors Plus Debit

10,000 bonus points, Hilton Gold status and NO FX fees Read our full review

NEW: Hilton Honors Debit

2,500 bonus points, Hilton Silver status and 0.5% FX fees Read our full review

There is another way of getting Hilton Honors status, and earning Hilton Honors points, from a payment card.

Holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card.  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton points is 1:2.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points. 

(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.)