6/28/21 Update:
We already heard about the change in breakfast policy for Hilton elite members but we just got verification about the new credit amounts. Check out the helpful infographic below to help you keep track of what type of breakfast benefits will be offered to you at the various brands:
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Hilton has long been my favorite hotel brand for breakfast.
That is because it offers a complimentary breakfast to both Hilton Gold and Hilton Diamond members and I have enjoyed many free breakfast meals during my Hilton stays.
Getting the free breakfast is convenient and also it has always been a great way to capture clear (non-subjective) savings while traveling.
But it looks like Hilton is about to switch things up and this could end up being a major negative depending on how it shakes out.
Beginning in July 2021 and through the end of 2021, Hilton is going to provide a daily food and beverage credit for Gold and Diamond members.
These credits will be offered at all luxury, full-service, lifestyle, and Hilton Garden Inn properties in the U.S.
These include brands like: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton, Signia by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Curio Collection by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton and Motto by Hilton.
The benefit is that you will be able to utilize these credits at anytime of the day so you are not restricted to only breakfast. That is actually pretty helpful for people who get a really late start or people like me who sometimes venture out before breakfast is even open.
The big question is how much will this credit be?
According to Hilton, the credit will range in value depending on the property you are staying at and the location. That gives me some hope that there will be real value with these credits since the price of breakfast can vary pretty widely.
However, it’s very possible that this credit will not offer the same amount of value that you could receive before with the free breakfast. And if that is the case then Gold and Diamond status will suffer a pretty clear devaluation — at least for US stays.
Once again, we don’t know exactly how this will play out but this is definitely something to watch as the summer comes around. Hopefully things will not be as bad as some are imagining but it’s certainly setting up to be a negative.
5/21 Update: there seems to be a somewhat credible rumor that the breakfast credit will be distributed as follows:
- $25 credit for luxury properties
- $12 credit for full service hotels but $15 in high cost markets
- $12 credit for lifestyle hotels but $15 in high cost markets
- $10 credit for Garden Inn
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
Would that equate to $50 at luxury hotels if my husband comes with me?
I believe so, though not 100% sure. I’d think $25 for 2 at a luxury property would be pretty worthless so hopefully it’s per person.
$12.00 at a Hilton property is worth a cup of coffee and a muffin. Try Hyatt hotels, better rates that include breakfast and far fewer points. After 20 years with Hilton I am making the switch.
Agree 40 years with Hilton and the change tells me it’s time to switch to Hyatt
I switched to Hyatt too. Hilton’s points program is horrible, and their breakfast changes have been a seemingly-unnecessary source of irritation. Too bad there aren’t more Hyatt hotels scattered across the planet.