Hilton today made a surprise announcement that the Honors Gold and Diamond member continental breakfast benefit for two is removed from early July until the end of 2021 at properties in the United States.
Gold and Diamond members are instead eligible for a Daily Food & Beverage Credit, and the amount is brand and location-specific.
You can access Hilton here.
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Here’s the statement that the Hilton spokesperson sent us:
As restrictions loosen and vaccination rates increase, once-grounded travelers are jumping at the chance to reconnect with loved ones and hit the road (or air) again. As Hilton welcomes guests back this summer, Hilton Honors is excited to launch a new Daily Food & Beverage Credit for Elite members. Please see information below.
- Showcasing its commitment to providing more flexibility, value and choice for its more than 115 million members, Hilton Honors is launching a Daily Food & Beverage Credit for Gold and Diamond members beginning in early July through the end of 2021, at all luxury, full-service, lifestyle, and Hilton Garden Inn properties in the U.S.
- These brand categories include 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.
- Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond members can utilize the daily credit towards food or beverage purchases any time of day, replacing the existing Elite Status benefit of complimentary Continental Breakfast.
- The Daily F&B Credit will range in value, depending on the brand and location.
Clarifications after this piece was published from the spokesperson:
You won’t have a choice between breakfast or this daily credit
Beginning in July, the Daily F&B Credit will replace the continental breakfast MyWay benefit option for the relevant hotel brands in the U.S. For instance, a Gold member will have the choice of the credit or Hilton Honors Points.
The credit is for up to two registered guests:
The Daily F&B Credit is provided to the Hilton Honors member and one additional registered guest each day.
The daily credit amount is brand and location/area-specific and not disclosed yet:
The Daily Food & Beverage Credit amounts will range depending on the brand and is available to the Hilton Honors member and one additional registered guest to the same room during the stay. Whether members look forward to breakfast or would rather skip it in favor of a refreshing beverage and afternoon snack, the choice will be theirs. We look forward to sharing more on this in the coming weeks.
I also probed if the credit is cumulative or needs to be used daily. There was no answer to this yet.
Breakfasts are still good at Hilton Hotels outside of the US!
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Conclusion
We can be confident that the Daily Food & Beverage Credit won’t cover the cost of continental breakfast for two at these brands.
The change benefits those that don’t eat breakfast and can use the credit for other items or at hotels that have temporarily suspended some or all of their F&B operations.
Elite member breakfast has become a slippery slope with Marriott and Hilton properties in the United States.
Many Marriott properties refuse to provide breakfast and just give 1,000 bonus points instead, even when their restaurant is open. Now Hilton replaces it with a Daily F&B credit.
Breakfast is one of the most profitable F&B products for hotels, as it is cheap to provide, and most business travelers can expense it.
You can only hope that this is a temporary change and not a permanent one. Breakfast is the most significant elite member benefit for many.
