Hilton HHonors - HH Gold Question

I recently made Gold Status and was reading the benefits from the honors website, it mentioned complimentary breakfast for you + 1 while staying. Is this something that you have to request when checking in? I have a coworker who is Gold and receives the vouchers only occasionally and when he does they are only for him. Most of the stays are at the DT in Rohnert Park and the Hilton Garden Inn in Burlingame near the SFO airport.

It depends. If there's a exec lounge, then that's where the breakfast is. If not, breakfast coupons are given. I've never had to ask for them at any of my stays with HH as Gold.

aloha

As Gold in the past and now Diamond, when travelling alone, always either given access to the Executive Lounge where they serve breakfast or one breakfast voucher for the hotel restaurant. When travelling with my wife, both of us have been given access to the lounge or two breakfast vouchers to the restaurant. On odd occasions, I may have to ask about breakfast vouchers, but can't remember them ever being refused. If you are alone they would only give you one voucher.

Chris.

For Hilton's without an exec lounge, I usually just book a room for 2 (and its been the same price as booking for 1) and when I check in (usually alone), I've always been offered 2 breakfast coupons. You never know who might join you for breakfast ;)

If you don't get two coupons (or even one) automatically, ask for them. Sometimes they just don't offer them (not sure if they forget or if it is deliberate), but when you ask you get them.

I had to ask before I got any in Miami (Fountainebleu), Frankfurt, San Francisco (Fisherman's Wharf).

The only time I asked and got nothing was at Hilton La Defense in Paris -- the policy there is that golds get NO breakfast included, not even one. There may also be other Hiltons like that.

I just had two award stays, 9/30-10/6 and 10/9-10/14, at the Paris Eiffel. I'm HHGold. Received no exec lounge breakfast or buffet vouchers. We ate breakfast out of the hotel every day except on our two check out days. Charges for these two breakfasts were cancelled. The deskclerk said their policy was free breakfast for arrival and departure days. Other Golds at the Eiffel have posted free vouchers. It may depend on how adamant you are when asking or, perhaps, how well trained the desk staff is in HH bonuses.

I just had two award stays, 9/30-10/6 and 10/9-10/14, at the Paris Eiffel. I'm HHGold. Received no exec lounge breakfast or buffet vouchers. We ate breakfast out of the hotel every day except on our two check out days. Charges for these two breakfasts were cancelled. The deskclerk said their policy was free breakfast for arrival and departure days. Other Golds at the Eiffel have posted free vouchers. It may depend on how adamant you are when asking or, perhaps, how well trained the desk staff is in HH bonuses.

This is either new or a staffing error. A few months ago at Eiffel we got vouchers for two (down in the main floor restaurant, continental only) for each of our four consecutive nights there.

I just had two award stays, 9/30-10/6 and 10/9-10/14, at the Paris Eiffel. I'm HHGold. Received no exec lounge breakfast or buffet vouchers. We ate breakfast out of the hotel every day except on our two check out days. Charges for these two breakfasts were cancelled. The deskclerk said their policy was free breakfast for arrival and departure days. Other Golds at the Eiffel have posted free vouchers. It may depend on how adamant you are when asking or, perhaps, how well trained the desk staff is in HH bonuses.


is this just a "french" thing or does hilton really allow the property's staff to make stuff up as they go along? I'd write a letter to hilton, this is pretty shabby.

is this just a "french" thing or does hilton really allow the property's staff to make stuff up as they go along? I'd write a letter to hilton, this is pretty shabby.Are you aware of the benefits awarded to Gold HH? This taken from the HH website (http://hhonors.hilton.com/en/hhonors/benefits/levels.jhtml):
At Hilton Family hotels outside the U.S. and Canada that have upgraded accommodation, Gold and Diamond VIPs will be upgraded to Executive Level or to the next best available room type. Upgraded rooms are subject to availability. At hotels that do not have upgraded types of accommodation, Gold and Diamond VIPs will receive additional amenities and/or services, which vary by property. In other words: no free breakfast at hotels outside of the US. If one is given, or access to the lounge given, you would be receiving treatment above and beyond what would be expected. It is not a French thing. :rolleyes:

thanks for the clarification...

too much fine print in the HHonors program (and everyone else's no doubt, I'll try and be fair)

they should come up with what the program is, and enforce it world-wide. If some properties want to go beyond the guaranteed minimum, that would be cool too. but at least you'd know where you stand without having to decode 5 pages of fine print and euphamisms like "best available" that mean no such thing.

Wbl,
Just consider the Starwood Gold upgrade policy:
Automatic Room Upgrades: As an elite member, you don't need to redeem Starpoints for a room upgrade --- you'll automatically be given a Preferred Room at check-in when available. Ever try to argue that you were not given a "Preferred Room"? They consider a room away from the elevator a preferred room in some location. These benefits (in all chains) are so loose you can drive a truck through them!

Always ask if you were given an upgrade because of status (unless already told). Then you know if you are getting something, or, at least, you remind them to be nicer to you because of status.

A first for me last week at the Millenium Hilton, New York. No free breakfast but 500 extra points a night.

A first for me last week at the Millenium Hilton, New York. No free breakfast but 500 extra points a night.

I was at the Millenium last month and was offered a choice of the breakfast or the 500 points. You should have been asked at check in which you wanted. Staying with the mrs, that was 4 breakfasts (two people for two days) or 500 points. to me that is a no brainer, especially when the going rate for the buffet is $20. She took a friend the first day while I went to my meeting and I had a NY bagel. We went together the second day.

fwiw, I sometimes make a mistake and make a booking for only one when two are planned and have only one cert in the envelope when I get there. This happened last week at the Oakland Airport Hilton. If I am alone, it makes no difference, but if am not, I don't recall ever having a problem asking for another cert. In this case, my wife had to go to her meeting early and didn't want more than coffee anyway, so it didn't make much difference.

The only time I asked and got nothing was at Hilton La Defense in Paris -- the policy there is that golds get NO breakfast included, not even one. There may also be other Hiltons like that.

We stayed at the Hilton La Defense in June and were offered free buffet breakfast for me and my wife without asking. We got an upgrade to their new styled rooms, too.

Markus

We stayed at the Hilton La Defense in June and were offered free buffet breakfast for me and my wife without asking. We got an upgrade to their new styled rooms, too.

Markus

Interesting. I was also there in June (early June), and had read others on FT complain about no free breakfast for golds there. I suspect there was probably a no breakfast policy of sorts and someone got confused (e.g., mixing up gold with diamond). Even when I first checked in and the clerk said nothing about breakfast and there were no coupons in my packet I asked, at first she said it was included, then expressed uncertainty (she was wearing a trainee button), made a call, and said not it was not. I asked her to doublecheck with her supervisor about this, she said she would and would call me, she didn't, and when I checked back with the supervisor on my own they told me no. :rolleyes:

I'm staying at the HGI Natomas in Sacramento once a month for a special course. If I have a single room, can I get 2 breakfast coupons as a Gold? It would be nice to give one to my friend who is also staying there (who is not yet Gold).

I'm staying at the HGI Natomas in Sacramento once a month for a special course. If I have a single room, can I get 2 breakfast coupons as a Gold? It would be nice to give one to my friend who is also staying there (who is not yet Gold).

Many HGIs charge the same for a room with two people one bed as a room with one person one bed, and when there are two people with one bed you can get two breakfast coupons. Just change your reservation to "one room two people" and you should be able to get two breakfast coupons (and use them as you wish)

i just stayed at dublin/columbus HGI monday night. nice welcome letter from GM, promising not only two bottles of water, but also that they were chilling in the fridge. no water in room, or in fridge. no water at front desk when asked.

wanted to check local paper for movie times. no free looks at the columbus dispatch, either. $0.50 please.

one free breakfast coupon, though reservation was for two and two of us checked in. asked for second brekkie coupon -- no dice.

the worst of it, i moved the footrest tuesday morning to retrieve dropped change. found three michelob ultra light bottle caps on the floor.

i wrote a note to the GM, intending to leave it for him at the front desk. he happened to be there when i checked out. so i handed it to him, and summarized the problems i encountered. he was disinterested in what i had to say, and the clerk next to him kept saying, "it's an amenity, not a right."

too bad, since it's a newish property and it's very nice. but the competition in columbus is keen, and dublin HGI won't see my business again.

crazy.

hopefully you staiyed for only one night?

send a letter to hilton, they'll make it worth your while. and it will go down in the "permanent record" for this GM and this property.

remember, 98% of all hiltons are franchise. they get away with as much as people don't tell mama hilton about.