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Hilton Honors changes its US free breakfast benefit

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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.

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills

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.

How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards

How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (April 2024)

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

Do you know that 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

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Did you know that the Virgin Atlantic credit cards are a great way of earning Hilton Honors points? Two Virgin Points can be converted into three Hilton Honors points. The Virgin Atlantic cards are the only Visa or Mastercard products in the UK which can indirectly earn Hilton Honors points. You can apply here.

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

and for small business owners:

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.)

Category

Hilton Honors

Comments (73)

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

  • Sam says:
    22 May22 May 04:36

    That only continental breakfast is complimentary (whilst hot food is on the same site – you can just watch and can’t touch those shelves) is de-facto non-existence of free breakfast…having 10 croissants and 8 glasses of orange juices is a bit depressing… though I think it’s not really a cost-cutting but rather a measure to allow flexibility to some hotels in the US that suspends breakfast at the moment and I trust they would lift it up once breakfasts resume in the US.

  • Andrew says:
    22 May22 May 05:52

    The points for Diamond will just be the standard 1000 points which is the case now. Gold can choose free breakfast or 1000 points, Diamond get both. Nothing will change except the “free breakfast” will now be this daily credit which will only be enough for a coffee and a muffin.

    I guarantee this will end up in a few months being a permanent and worldwide change and thus altering the value of the HH scheme forever.

    • Alan says:
      22 May22 May 08:27

      Sadly I suspect this may well be the case. Will be a massive devaluation if so.

    • Sam says:
      22 May22 May 16:15

      I still fall my hopes that Hilton won’t do this permanently nor extending it to other regions – there is no standpoints for them to do so when leisure stays are resumed in most parts of Europe and most parts of East Asia. if they say it they should mean it. Owned by private equity firms it’s not really their style to be stingy, could of done this ages ago to be in line with IHG. If they decided to make this a permanent measure we’d surely see a large departure of diamond members to Marriott which insists on guaranteed breakfasts.

  • Tim says:
    22 May22 May 06:04

    Swings and roundabouts. Breakfast great. But was always a toss up for me between Hilton breakfast or BA GF breakfast. At other times, I couldn’t give a monkeys about breakfast – never been awake for it and quite rightly so – lounge in the evening more important. And I know the general consensus in these parts is to diss IHG Spire, but the Crown Plaza lounges in my view, in Europe, are better than the Hilton ones. Poland DoubleTrees, Prague and Tallinn Hiltons being the exceptions – which are all top notch. Maybe it is just an eastern Europe thing – all day booze and food in the lounge at the CP Bratislava for example? Or maybe not just eastern Europe – as the CP Athens, Porto, and many others were the same. Maybe it is just the cash I put through IHG – I genuinely have no clue. But I’d rather sit in an empty lounge at the CP Athens at 2pm with a beer on hand, than happy hour at the Hilton Gateshead. Which is a similar experience to visiting LIDL. Which is probably what a substantial number of armchair commentators that will typically post here today are used to 🙂

    • John says:
      22 May22 May 06:20

      What are you doing up at 6am on a weekend then

    • John says:
      22 May22 May 09:20

      Gateshead is the worst example you could choose, not really a DP

      The problem with CP BTS is that it’s in BTS…

    • Mike says:
      22 May22 May 10:08

      happy hour at the Hilton Gateshead – is no where near a similar experience to LIDL – they make you pay for stuff in LIDL- although it is quite cheap ! Bright back Waitrose free coffee

    • Rick MacLeod says:
      22 May22 May 11:34

      You’ve just made me smile, Tim ( which I have done precious little of recently, after 14 months on Furlough!). Our first trip to Athens was spent in the Crowne Plaza, which was fantastic, but my recollection of the Exec Lounge was a small unmanned room, with as much alcohol as one could hope to drink, lovely snack food, and a tiny terrace onto which 2 or 3 desperate, slim individuals could squeeze if they needed a smoke!
      Happy days indeed, and even as a non-smoker I would go back in a heartbeat!!

  • Chris Heyes says:
    22 May22 May 06:56

    Hilton Breakfast have always been the reason for booking for me !
    I Like to be up early especially on Holiday Breakfast for me starts at 7.00am
    Occasionally 6.30 if Partner allows (on my third coffee now)
    I eat a lot at breakfast (my Partner says to much)
    But after breakfast that’s it until dinner (evening meal for northerner’s)
    Except for coffees aplenty.
    Evening meal for us starts whenever were ready to eat between 6pm—9pm
    Nearly all of the time eat out at differant restaurants
    One thing hate is when the hotel I’m staying in says breakfast starts at 8.00am Gr Gr

    • Mr(s) Entitled says:
      22 May22 May 07:28

      To me dinner is an evening meal, but when you had lunch at school what were the people who served your called? North or South, I have only ever known them as Dinner Ladies. Perhaps now it is something more non-binary, Dinner Thems?

      • RussellH says:
        22 May22 May 10:39

        I grew up in west London, both parents Londoners, neither working class, and the only place that served dinners was school, served as you say by dinner ladies.
        Home we had lunch in the middle of the day and supper at night.

        After 30 years in Scotland and 20+ in the far NW of England, still no dinners. Breakfast, lunch + tea.

      • Ming the merciless says:
        22 May22 May 10:39

        Dinner dude?

    • ThinkSquare says:
      22 May22 May 07:30

      ‘evening meal’? I think you mean ‘tea’!

      However I fully agree with you on breakfast. Ten (good) croissants? Yes please

    • Harrier25 says:
      22 May22 May 07:31

      Some people call dinner, tea. Fascinating!

  • KBuffett says:
    22 May22 May 07:05

    Interesting reading about the AmEx ICO breach. Has anyone ever raised a complaint about a breach, and is it possible to do this anonymously?

    • Erico1875 says:
      22 May22 May 07:33

      Those 5 minutes to write a complaint are too precious to be wasted IMO

  • mradey says:
    22 May22 May 07:26

    Works ok for me, when travelling solo. I’ll be able to indulge in the ‘Breakfast of Champions’.

    • Erico1875 says:
      22 May22 May 07:37

      When travelling solo, would it be better to have an “imaginary friend” to double up on the credit 😁

      • Harrier25 says:
        22 May22 May 07:55

        Just book a room for 2 and upon check-in just say the wife will be in soon, she’s just struggling getting the suitcases out of the boot! 😂

        • The Savage Squirrel says:
          22 May22 May 08:13

          To be honest I’ve always booked for two when travelling solo (unless this alters cost) on the theory that solo male travellers will likely be allocated the worst room by reception as they’re least likely to care or complain. No idea if my theory holds true in reality 😂.

          • Lady London says:
            22 May22 May 11:18

            You are completely wrong Savage as it’s solo females that get the worst rooms if without status.

            I’ve even done what you do booked for 2, then when I arrive and it’s clear or checked that I am alone, got shoved into the worst room anyway.

        • Chris Heyes says:
          22 May22 May 08:30

          Harrier25 If you book a room for 2 there is no reason to say anything
          Don’t understand “WHY” People feel the need to make excuses/explain ?
          You could say wife’s in the boot n you’ll let her out later !

          • Lady London says:
            22 May22 May 11:20

            I always tell the truth if asked. You blokes can get away with saying someone will join you later but with females there’s always that slight hint of being on the game or being a tramp.

  • Anna says:
    22 May22 May 07:48

    I contacted the Baker’s Cay Curio in Key Largo where we’re booked for 5 nights this summer and they said the credit is $38.70 (I’m assuming this is per room). This sounds quite generous compared with some of the amounts listed!

    • Jonathan says:
      22 May22 May 11:26

      Looking at the website that’s a continental breakfast ($15) + an Americano ($4) x 2 so about right

  • Jane says:
    22 May22 May 08:13

    I’m assuming it’ll be $24 for our Hilton booked for August but if the kids eat free I guess it’s not so bad if 4 of us can have breakfast for around $20 (top up to pay for 2 adults as I think buffet is $22). I suspect on some days we can have a cereal bar and buy a cocktail instead 🙂

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