Hilton HHonors - Breakfast included in rate then upgraded question

Just checked in to a european hilton on a rate including breakfast. was upgraded to exec floor due to diamond status which I do appreciate.
Decided to check out the breakfast downstairs as i have heard it is fab.

I was denied the free breakfast as I have been upgrade. said I am sure that this is incorrect that I should be able to have breakfast down or up if I have paid.
The boss nof the restaurant called the front desk and was told that no i wouldm have to pay if I had it downstairs.
First we were told by the front desk that yes breakfast was included downstairs then when I went to go to the breakfast iw as toold tat i would have to pay for it!
What is the general consensus here?

Just checked in to a european hilton on a rate including breakfast. was upgraded to exec floor due to diamond status which I do appreciate.
Decided to check out the breakfast downstairs as i have heard it is fab.

I was denied the free breakfast as I have been upgrade. said I am sure that this is incorrect that I should be able to have breakfast down or up if I have paid.
The boss nof the restaurant called the front desk and was told that no i wouldm have to pay if I had it downstairs.
First we were told by the front desk that yes breakfast was included downstairs then when I went to go to the breakfast iw as toold tat i would have to pay for it!
What is the general consensus here?

The rate you booked included breakfast? If so, you shouldn't lose that inclusion because of an upgrade.

If the rate you booked did not include breakfast, then I'd say the hotel is right....but it sounds like you are saying you booked a rate that included breakfast, so I'd get out your confirmation and show it in the lounge to have them fix the problem.

yes it was called weekend in style and definitely includes full breakfast . I have spoken to the lounge the front desk(who said that no one who gets upgraded ever gets the full breakfast downstairs)and the matre d at the downstairs restaurant and they ahve all said you loose the breakfast once upgraded :mad:
wouldnt it be great if the hilton lurker would comment @:-)
i think this problem needs to be addressed :(

yes it was called weekend in style and definitely includes full breakfast . I have spoken to the lounge the front desk(who said that no one who gets upgraded ever gets the full breakfast downstairs)and the matre d at the downstairs restaurant and they ahve all said you loose the breakfast once upgraded :mad:
wouldnt it be great if the hilton lurker would comment @:-)
i think this problem needs to be addressed :(

That just doesn't seem right. Why don't you call to Hilton Honors and ask them? If you lose the full breakfast in exchange for a smaller breakfast and an upgraded room, I'd rather pass on the upgrade I think...the room isn't that big of a deal, and a downgrade in benefits (seeing as you don't get what you are paying for really) seems just plain unfair. I understand if breakfast in the downstairs restaurant isn't offered in the upgrade, but if you already had it they then take it away. I'd be mad too. And I'd push more. Speak to the manager.

That just doesn't seem right. Why don't you call to Hilton Honors and ask them? ... I'd be mad too. And I'd push more. Speak to the manager.

Good suggestions....Tinky's experience with HHONORS hasn't been great lately, but this sounds a bit fishy. It seems that at check-in, Tinky should have been given breakfast certificates or something. Tinky, if you have your confirmation in hand that explains the bull breakfast benefit - how could the manager argue with you? If that fails, I'd give the Diamond line a call and if they can't help you, ask how to file a complaint. If you're entitled to a free full breakfast, I'd go ahead and have it...it sounds like you're in a win/win situation so long as you have full documentation of the full breakfast rate that you booked.

Sounds dodgy to me too.

If that was the case, simply moving you from a "standard room" to a larger "corner room" could invoke the no more free breakfast rule as well.

You pay for brekkie, you get it downstairs. You get upgraded to an Exec Floor, then have brekkie at the Exec Floor or downstairs. If you didn't pay for brekkie and get upgraded to an Exec Floor then you can only have Brekkie upstairs.

There are many HH properties that operate in this exact manner.

You are not gonna like this answer :)
This matter came up on the boards last year involving non-US Hiltons and I emailed Glasgow and got an response from Mr Garnor Creran, Guest Relations manager, Hilton Honors.

I am pretty sure I posted the entire response in a thread sometime last year.

I quote ".. If there are no rooms to upgrade the Diamond member to, Executive or otherwise, they should be offered complimentary Hilton breakfast each morning of their stay. This includes the members choice of room service breakfast ( Continental Breakfast) or in the restaurant.

If there are no rooms to upgrade the Diamond member to Executive or otherwise and they are already on a breakfast inclusive rate, the member should be given an alternative amenity.."

So I will leave that with you :)

But it does seem that the current policy is that if you are on the Executive floor and have lounge access then you must have breakfast in the lounge.
The question is whether a full breakfast means more to you in this case or lounge/executive floor access( for me its a pretty clear cut choice but i will not answer for others)

mike.

Sounds dodgy to me too.

If that was the case, simply moving you from a "standard room" to a larger "corner room" could invoke the no more free breakfast rule as well.

You pay for brekkie, you get it downstairs. You get upgraded to an Exec Floor, then have brekkie at the Exec Floor or downstairs. If you didn't pay for brekkie and get upgraded to an Exec Floor then you can only have Brekkie upstairs.

There are many HH properties that operate in this exact manner.
thats exactly how i read a breakfast included deal that you can either do the full breakkie or the exec club.I usuallly dont buy a breaky rate but it was the same as the normal rate when i booked so thought why not?

and bigjim-you are right mmy experiences witrh HHnors havent been fab lately :(

I do realise that upgrade exec club is a privilege not a right and I do appreciate that I am on the club floor. I just wanted to try the breakky downstairs to see what it was like as I am travelling with travel agent and he needs to know what it is like as we have been putting a lot of people in to this particular hotel and as they are not diamond would not get the exec club.They are shooting themselves in the foot a bit.

I quote ".. If there are no rooms to upgrade the Diamond member to, Executive or otherwise, they should be offered complimentary Hilton breakfast each morning of their stay. This includes the members choice of room service breakfast ( Continental Breakfast) or in the restaurant.

If there are no rooms to upgrade the Diamond member to Executive or otherwise and they are already on a breakfast inclusive rate, the member should be given an alternative amenity.."

So I will leave that with you :)

But it does seem that the current policy is that if you are on the Executive floor and have lounge access then you must have breakfast in the lounge.
The question is whether a full breakfast means more to you in this case or lounge/executive floor access( for me its a pretty clear cut choice but i will not answer for others)

mike.

Mike, I don't quite see how this says that if a member is paying a full breakfast inclusive rate that they should be downgraded to a continental breakfast in a lounge.

Mike, I don't quite see how this says that if a member is paying a full breakfast inclusive rate that they should be downgraded to a continental breakfast in a lounge.


if i guessed this happened in the lyon hilton would i be right?

Mike, I don't quite see how this says that if a member is paying a full breakfast inclusive rate that they should be downgraded to a continental breakfast in a lounge.

Look I am only passing on the information, well almost verbatim :)

It does appear that the current HH policy is that if you have Executive Lounge/Floor access you must have breakfast is the lounge - period, a number of members have reported such lately, in places they had previously had a option, such as the Cavalieri.
One thing I do find that on most of the ocasions I have been able to select the restaurant option. I have ended up having to make the front desk remove at checkpot the restaurant breakfast charge had added to my folio.
The recent policy might be an attempt at simplyfying the accounting .

In many European Hiltons with lounges the breakfast options are not limited to "Continental" but includes a full buffet and even cooked items, if requested.

I suppose in Hilton's mind the lounge access is worth more than breakfast in a restaurant and I speak only for myself I cannot disagree with that.
So my interpretation of the rule is that the OP should have received " an amenty" and had breakfast in the lounge.

mike

Look I am only passing on the information, well almost verbatim :)

It does appear that the current HH policy is that if you have Executive Lounge/Floor access you must have breakfast is the lounge - period, a number of members have reported such lately, in places they had previously had a option, such as the Cavalieri.
One thing I do find that on most of the ocasions I have been able to select the restaurant option. I have ended up having to make the front desk remove at checkpot the restaurant breakfast charge had added to my folio.
The recent policy might be an attempt at simplyfying the accounting .

In many European Hiltons with lounges the breakfast options are not limited to "Continental" but includes a full buffet and even cooked items, if requested.

I suppose in Hilton's mind the lounge access is worth more than breakfast in a restaurant and I speak only for myself I cannot disagree with that.
So my interpretation of the rule is that the OP should have received " an amenty" and had breakfast in the lounge.

mike

Tinky, Sorry that you're having such a hard time.

Again, if you have proof that the rate that you are paying includes full breakfast at the restaurant, I would insist that I get what I was paying for. Otherwise, I'd get full names and have a little bit of fun when I returned home, if I were you.

There is no logic to your situation - it seems that there is something amiss...I'm sure that there are always two sides to every situation but I don't see there side right now.

Mike, I'm not doubting what you've been told, but I'm just not following their and your interpretation of what you've been told. If you've been upgraded to a nicer room that includes lounge access, but you are PAYING a rate that includes full breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, I don't see how they can deny your full breakfast at the restaurant.

However, if the rate plan is not as straightforward and simply includes breakfast and doesn't specify what is included or where it is to be provided, I think that the hotel probably does have a lot of wiggle room to do whatever they want.

I suppose in Hilton's mind the lounge access is worth more than breakfast in a restaurant and I speak only for myself I cannot disagree with that.
So my interpretation of the rule is that the OP should have received " an amenty" and had breakfast in the lounge.

mike

But the breakfast in the restaurant was not an amenity. It was paid for as part of the room rate. The amenity was the upgrade to the lounge. Shouldn't change the breakfast in the restaurant which was already paid for.

MIKESLV and tinkybelle appear, at least to me and a few others, to be talking about two different things.

1. tinkybelle said, "Just checked in to a european hilton on a rate including breakfast."

So the breakfast (downstairs) was paid for.

2. MIKESLV is talking about getting upgraded and on a res that does NOT include breakfast.

So the breakfast (downstairs) was NOT paid for.

tinky says she paid for her breakfast, then in my mind she should get what she paid for. Getting upgraded is an additional benefit of her elite status.

I would pull the res confirmation ("breakfast is included') and read all the fine print. I would also read the fine print on the HH site regarding upgrades and see if it says anything about NOT getting something you paid for even though you were upgraded.
Then show the res to the manager. If they still say no, I would call the DD (I think you are DIA) and or flyertalk@hilton.com.

If MIKESLV is saying that even if you paid for breakfast but you are upgraded and you then do not get breakfast, I think that is a load of hooey. In my mind it would encourage elites to never res the breakfast inclusive rate since they would only be allowed breakfast in the lounge, no matter what.
Also since I assume the downstairs would include a waitstaff, etc would you also get waitstaff bringing items, food, etc to your table in the lounge. If they are not comparable service between the two there should be if they are doing things this way now.

Either way, I still think you need to get what you paid for.


On a side note, what were the similarities or differences between the lounge and the downstairs breakfasts (both full or both continental, one full the other con, etc), if you (tinky) could tell?
Also, does your res or if you can find the rate again does it give specifics about what type of breakfast or where the breakfast will be?

You are being fed - Bravo Sierra, if you get my meaning here.

You: paid for a room with breakfast included.

They: upgraded you to an executive room as a status courtesy and now want you to give them your full brekkies back.

Nonsense, rubbish; that's all froth and no beer, IMO. If they insist, I'd probably eat brekkies where I wanted and take it up with HH later. MIKESILV is well-intentioned, but I think misinformed about this - as is the hotel. If you had purchased a regular rate without breakfast, OK, you got upgraded, woohoo, now eat breakfast in the Exec Lounge (though a number of hotels still go the extra mile and leave it to you to choose the lounge or ful hot buffet downstairs.)

I have done exactly what you have done several times on at least three continents on Weekends in Style - and every time, I have still had my breakfast, though I have initially been challenged on at least a couple of occasions (mostly in Europe,) when I pull out my printed copy of the booking and speak with someone with half a brain ;) it came clear to them that I was all wool and a yard wide about this and not trying to sneak an extra amenity.

Tinky, Sorry that you're having such a hard time.

Again, if you have proof that the rate that you are paying includes full breakfast at the restaurant, I would insist that I get what I was paying for. Otherwise, I'd get full names and have a little bit of fun when I returned home, if I were you.

There is no logic to your situation - it seems that there is something amiss...I'm sure that there are always two sides to every situation but I don't see there side right now.

Mike, I'm not doubting what you've been told, but I'm just not following their and your interpretation of what you've been told. If you've been upgraded to a nicer room that includes lounge access, but you are PAYING a rate that includes full breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, I don't see how they can deny your full breakfast at the restaurant.

However, if the rate plan is not as straightforward and simply includes breakfast and doesn't specify what is included or where it is to be provided, I think that the hotel probably does have a lot of wiggle room to do whatever they want.


I expect this will be my last post on the topic.
a) The infomation I quoted here is part of a e-mail listing six specific policies for Hilton Hotels ( I believe only specific for Europe, but definitely for Hilton International) regading Diamonds and upgrade policies as a side one interesting topic which was typed in block capitals was that lounge access SHOULD NOT be granted if the member is not booked or upgraded to the Executive floor.

b) If the rate states "Full breakfast in the hotel restaurant served by wait staff" so be it, but I doubt it does and it would the first time I have seen such so where the lounge breakfast fall?

We all can rant about what should happen all I can state in actuality what IS happening ( Six stays in European Hiltons in April).
Out :)

mike

I expect this will be my last post on the topic.
a) The infomation I quoted here is part of a e-mail listing six specific policies for Hilton Hotels ( I believe only specific for Europe, but definitely for Hilton International) regading Diamonds and upgrade policies as a side one interesting topic which was typed in block capitals was that lounge access SHOULD NOT be granted if the member is not booked or upgraded to the Executive floor.

b) If the rate states "Full breakfast in the hotel restaurant served by wait staff" so be it, but I doubt it does and it would the first time I have seen such so where the lounge breakfast fall?

We all can rant about what should happen all I can state in actuality what IS happening ( Six stays in European Hiltons in April).
Out :)

mike

No ranting here mike...and if you don't want to post anymore on this subject, not a problem. ;)

If you do decide to post more on the subject, I'd be curious as to how many different hotels you're talking about out of the six and how many of your rates included breakfast in the booked rate.

If it was me I'd be inclined to have breakfast downstairs anyway and dispute the charge at check-out. Clearly you paid for breakfast downstairs.

No ranting here mike...and if you don't want to post anymore on this subject, not a problem. ;)

If you do decide to post more on the subject, I'd be curious as to how many different hotels you're talking about out of the six and how many of your rates included breakfast in the booked rate.

Well no ranting at least on your part :) but sometimes trying to make a point here does get a bit tiring.

The properties in question aand order:
Hilton Prague (two stays) Hilton Vienna, Hilton Buda Castle, Hilton Budapest-Westend, Hilton Paddington.
None were on stays that including breakfast ( I never book that rate unless its completely unavoidable) but I did encounter a similar problem as the OP with the Paddington on a previous trip and again had to have the breakfast charge removed on the most recent ( the temp lounge was not open in AMs and breakfast for Diamonds was provided in the main restaurant.
My impression is that its a bit of a problem removing it at the restaurant level
in fact at the Paddington they insist the charge be put on - which is in turn supposed to be removed.

On irrrelevant note I was unpgraded to suites on the Executive floors for all the mainland properties plus given a suite at the Paddington.

mike

If it was me I'd be inclined to have breakfast downstairs anyway and dispute the charge at check-out. Clearly you paid for breakfast downstairs.Exactly -- or, ask them to adjust your rate downwards to a rate that does not include breakfast.

these stuffups are occurring more and more with Hilton, IMHO. Frankly, tinky, i would have felt constrained to force myself to eat TWO breakkies, the one i paid for downstairs, and the one i got as an amenity in the exec lounge.

Just checked in to a european hilton on a rate including breakfast. was upgraded to exec floor due to diamond status which I do appreciate.
Decided to check out the breakfast downstairs as i have heard it is fab.

I was denied the free breakfast as I have been upgrade. said I am sure that this is incorrect that I should be able to have breakfast down or up if I have paid.
The boss nof the restaurant called the front desk and was told that no i wouldm have to pay if I had it downstairs.
First we were told by the front desk that yes breakfast was included downstairs then when I went to go to the breakfast iw as toold tat i would have to pay for it!
What is the general consensus here?

You are allowed to have breakfast only the next day, i.e. you can't have free breakfast same day you checked in, only after you've already had a night the hotel.

Wirelessly posted (Nokia5140/2.0 (3.10) Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)

Obviously a stated benefit in a loyalty program should not affect negatively to the product you paid for. Probably the hotel in question requires also paid exec guests to have breakfast in the lounge. If this is so, it is IMHO also an unfortunate decision.

I've been wondering about this one as well, to the point that for a forthcoming "Weekend in Style" stay, I have specifically put in the comments that I do not want to be upgraded as I wish to retain my full breakfast. I don't find either the exec rooms or the lounge in that hotel terribly wonderful and useful. I do, however, find the full breakfast very worthwhile.

However, it could be worse, at one Australian Hilton at a rate with breakfast, I was upgraded, then downgraded (a very bad downgrade) and lost both access to the lounge and to my paid for breakfast. It took 6 months to get a reply from the hotel which was unsatisfactory in the extreme.