Free breakfast on reward nights?

[Tom]

What is your experience getting free breakfast on reward nights?

Is this actually a guaranteed benefit or just at the discretion of the hotel?

[Aston100]

Supposedly a new benefit attached to Diamond status.
I got it at a CP last month (reward night booking).

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[Harrier25]

Aston100 wrote:

Supposedly a new benefit attached to Diamond status.
I got it at a CP last month (reward night booking).

As we did at Holiday Inn Bournemouth 10 days ago, also on a rewards stay.

[Peter K]

Got it at a Voco on a reward stay 2 weeks ago. I got to choose the status benefit on arrival…points, drink or breakfast.

[Lula]

Got it at the IC Park Lane when we checked in this afternoon on a credit card reward night.

[Supergers49]

Received free breakfast on a reward night stay last weekend in the Kimpton De Witt.

[Andrew J]

Yes it’s valid on reward stays – just as the free drink or welcome points are.

[aseftel]

It was a bit ambiguous in the terms when it was first announced, but they have been revised to be clear that it is included.

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

Any clarity re Vignette Collection? It’s not specified in the list of full-service brands eligible for the Diamond welcome amenity but this seems like cock-up rather than conspiracy.

[Tom]

Thanks for the replies everyone. A free breakfast always tastes better than one you’ve paid for.

[Suggs]

hijacking this a little.
If you book a three night stay on rewards, would this be breakfast for all three days or just the one?
thanks

[NorthernLass]

We had 3 nights on points at the Kimpton Seafire and got it on all 3 mornings ($94 per day if you pay!). I think it does say in the IHG One Ts and Cs that it’s for the duration of your stay.

Got another 4 nights booked next April – yay!

[Suggs]

NorthernLass wrote:

We had 3 nights on points at the Kimpton Seafire and got it on all 3 mornings ($94 per day if you pay!). I think it does say in the IHG One Ts and Cs that it’s for the duration of your stay.

Got another 4 nights booked next April – yay!

Thank you NorthernLass. We are in Newcastle this weekend for the Great North Run, so helps to know if we have breakfast or we need to buy porridge pots 🙂

[Aston100]

Suggs wrote:

NorthernLass wrote:

We had 3 nights on points at the Kimpton Seafire and got it on all 3 mornings ($94 per day if you pay!). I think it does say in the IHG One Ts and Cs that it’s for the duration of your stay.

Got another 4 nights booked next April – yay!

Thank you NorthernLass. We are in Newcastle this weekend for the Great North Run, so helps to know if we have breakfast or we need to buy porridge pots 🙂

I’d email the hotel in advance of your stay to make sure they are aware of the need to provide breakfast.

[Mark Peterborough]

I’ve had the breakfast offered on reward stays at about 5 hotels since it came in . The Holiday Inn Birmingham were of the belief that it was for “paid stays only” but when I asked them to please re-check the rules , they came back with two vouchers .

[Chas]

I had a recent stay at a Kimpton where nights 1 and 3 were reward nights, with night 2 being a cash stay. Free breakfast as Diamond for all 3 nights. As an aside, I then also got night 2 free as they seemed to treat my paid night as a deposit and refunded it less my bar bill. I tried to tell them at check-out that I wasn’t expecting a refund, and they patiently explained that I was wrong…

[Ghosty]

Another question, is the breakfast for two or just the Diamond level holder only?

[SGJNI]

Ghosty wrote:

Another question, is the breakfast for two or just the Diamond level holder only?

As confirmed above and elsewhere, it is for UP TO TWO GUESTS SHARING A ROOM!

[jj]

Another data point: as a Diamond, the Indigo Stratford-upon -Avon gave an upgrade and free breakfast for a stay comprised of a credit card voucher and a reward night.

It’s a gem of a hotel, by the way. Great service; lovely room; free minibar including beer, cider, wine, gin; fabulous Tudor-era hotel bar serving great real ale (a rarity in a hotel) and stunning bar snacks; and incredible restaurant – the slow-roast venison shoulder was awesome. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

[John]

I stayed at several HIs CPs and Indigos around the UK, both award and paid stays, and all of them proactively gave free breakfast. Some of them had prepared breakfast vouchers in advance and some gave me the points as well.

I probably got upgraded at most of them, they didn’t tend to say anything when checking in, but I always book the cheapest room and what I got usually appeared to be better than the one in the booking site photo.

Also many UK IHG are giving a “free minibar”, while it’s sometimes just a chocolate bar and soft drink cans it can also sometimes be more substantial.

[memesweeper]

Just to reiterate — you are supposed to ask for this benefit on check in. I’ve not had a problem yet but someone will one day, I’m sure.

[NorthernLass]

At check in you usually get asked if you want points/drinks vouchers and now breakfast (if Diamond). But I would always mention it if they don’t as I’ve seen a couple of reports of hotels refusing or unilaterally deciding you’re getting 500 points.

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

NorthernLass wrote:

At check in you usually get asked if you want points/drinks vouchers and now breakfast (if Diamond). But I would always mention it if they don’t as I’ve seen a couple of reports of hotels refusing or unilaterally deciding you’re getting 500 points.

Yes, I always phrase it as “Will the breakfast attendant have my name on a list or do I need to show them a coupon you give me now?” Been about 50:50 coupons or name on list so far.

[NorthernLass]

We got coupons at the Kimpton Seafire. I joked that they were the most valuable meal vouchers in the world as breakfast for 2 was $94 per day!

[dst87]

At a recent check-in (Holiday Inn MediaCityUK) I was offered drink voucher or points. When I requested breakfast it was no problem; I think the person just forgot that it was a ‘thing’ now, or possible they don’t see many who are eligible at that particular property? They had nice little vouchers to hand over at breakfast.

So far no issue whatsoever. I did have an annoying experience at the Fitzroy – they offered the breakfast and wrote that on their paperwork, but the restaurant had not been updated so each morning they told me I didn’t have breakfast… then were fine when I told them it was my diamond amenity. Fine, but a little annoying.

At another Holiday Inn property I had booked a room-only rate but was told at check-in that I hadn’t, but _should_ have because I was diamond. Then told again at breakfast – “Oh, you know you don’t need to book a breakfast inclusive rate because you get breakfast as diamond”.

So… while all of the staff have been happy to provide the breakfast and understood the benefit, there’s clearly some training teething problems across many properties. Hopefully it’ll get better as time goes on.