Hilton HHonors - Diamond @ Hilton Hotel: breakfast for 4?

If I am a Diamond member and stay at a Hilton with my wife and 2 kids, will we all be allowed to use the Executive Lounge for breakfast?

I have on numerous occasions with my family of 4. YMMV

If I am a Diamond member and stay at a Hilton with my wife and 2 kids, will we all be allowed to use the Executive Lounge for breakfast?
Of course.

Of course.


Why "of course"? I remember something like "you and one guest" (which is reasonable).

Why "of course"? I remember something like "you and one guest" (which is reasonable).

I was also the opinion that "the member and one guest"

I'm not Diamond, but stayed on executive floors and different places enforce differently. Most of the time you won't have problems though.

Hi

I am Diamond HHonors and throughout the UK and Europe i have never had a problem with comped breakfast from myself and wife and 2 kids (plus baby)!

Maybe its our well rehearsed "i want something for free" smiles?

:D:D

I've never had trouble with taking the whole family into the lounge for breakfast. My understanding is that the "member and one guest" applies to free breakfast in the resturant if the hotel does not have a lounge. Even then, I've been comped breakfast for the three of us most times, even in NYC.

Like SuperSnoop, I really see it as two separate senarios:

1) Executive Lounge Access - Whether you're Diamond or on the Executive Floor, I would expect your entire party to be able to get in to the Executive Lounge, almost without exception.

2) Breakfast Vouchers - If you're at a hotel like a HGI or one where the Executive Lounge is closed on weekends and you're getting breakfast vouchers, I think this is much more YMMV. So far, I'm 100% at getting four when I'm with my family, but I won't be surprised or disappointed if I'm only given two per night. I know I'm only due two, so I'm never demanding. I just ask when I check in if I'll get breakfast vouchers for all four of us.

Here is the "official" position. Of course YMMV



You will be upgraded to an Executive Floor room (where/when available) at time of check-in. If an Executive Floor room is unavailable, you will be upgraded to the next best available room from the room type booked. Upgrades exclude suites, villas and specialty accommodations.

At hotels with Executive Floor lounges, if an Executive Floor room upgrade is available, you will also receive access to the lounge. In addition, you will receive complimentary Continental breakfast for you and up to one additional registered hotel guest each day of your stay.

You may get a more accurate response if you name the hotel.

Howdy,

FWIW - I've always gotten breakfast (including at Waikoloa) for the following:

1. Family of 3 sharing 1 room.
2. Bringing both sets of Grandparents and us (9 people) - spread among 3 separate rooms (my wife and I being the only Diamonds, others having no status - hotels have always been good about handing me certs for the grandparents OR giving them lounge access).

YMMV

Keep the faith,

Pakse

I just had this same question before staying at the Hilton Boston Back Bay. I emailed the hotel using the address on its website. Within hours the General Manager sent me a response, which was that all 4 of us would receive an "enhanced" continental breakfast in the Diamond Lounge. I'm not sure that all hotels are this responsive, but you should try emailing your hotel and finding out.

BTW, another benefit of emailing the hotel is that you get an answer to print-out and bring with you in case any confusion arises. In the past I have phoned the hotel to ask about breakfast, only to find out that the person who spoke with me gave me incorrect information.

I have never had an issue by asking nicely.

Earlier this week at the Carrillon Hilton they nicely upgraded me to the exec floor, I asked if there was space for my clueless co-worker, they said sure a Queen room, he said he would rather stay in his King room on a regular floor :(.
So I nicely asked if I could have breakfast coupons, instead of lounge (so I could eat with my co-worker), and they said no problem they would give his key exec lounge access.

Also, good luck with getting free breakfast for all at HGI's.

Why "of course"? I remember something like "you and one guest" (which is reasonable).
I think you remembered incorrectly. When i go somewhere with my two kids, i do not expect hilton to tell me my 6 year old will be denied access to the Executive lounge.

I think you remembered incorrectly. When i go somewhere with my two kids, i do not expect hilton to tell me my 6 year old will be denied access to the Executive lounge.

I think I remembered correctly - see post #10. And your 6 year old might certainly be denied access in places where it is illegal to have 6 year olds in places where alcohol is served - but this will certainly never happen in the so called lounges in the US (however, sometimes I feel like asking the lounge people to enforce the rule).

I think I remembered correctly - see post #10. And your 6 year old might certainly be denied access in places where it is illegal to have 6 year olds in places where alcohol is served - but this will certainly never happen in the so called lounges in the US (however, sometimes I feel like asking the lounge people to enforce the rule).

We were in an executive lounge at a Hilton this weekend, and many families of four were dining for breakfast. In fact, one of the families had two very loud and ill-behaved toddlers, to the point where the concierge asked the parents to restrain their children. Even at that point, she didn't resort to using the "you plus one guest" rule. I did consider pointing it out, but we were about to leave...

I have seen a lounge enforce the "guest plus one" policy when a diamond member was entertaining a half-dozen people and a couple of them were 'overserved'. The hotel cracked down on them for the rest of the stay and only the diamond plus one guest were allowed breakfast/access for the remainder of the stay, even though the diamond member was paying for several rooms at the hotel. ( I was neither the diamond nor in the lounge when the incident occurred, but I was staying in one of the paid rooms and was denied breakfast for the remainder of the stay (no Hilton status at the time.)

And your 6 year old might certainly be denied access in places where it is illegal to have 6 year olds in places where alcohol is served - but this will certainly never happen in the so called lounges in the US (however, sometimes I feel like asking the lounge people to enforce the rule).

Where would such a jurisdiction be that it is illegal to have six-years old children in any or all venues where alcohol is legally served to those majors of legal drinking age? Or are children of that age prohibited from being in all places -- including churches -- that serve alcohol?

There is nothing to prevent a hotel from going beyond the minimums required as part of the official HHonors benefits if the hotel so wishes. If the hotel so wishes to extend such benefits to other guests above and beyond the Gold/Diamond member + one guest, I would feel foolish telling the hotel to enforce a "rule" that is not a rule for that hotel. If being disturbed in the lounge was an issue for me, then perhaps it would make more sense to (a) inform the hotel that the noisy and/or overcrowded nature of the lounge is making me reconsider my travel purchase decisions going forward rather than (b) demanding enforcement of a "rule" that is no rule.

Where would such a jurisdiction be that it is illegal to have six-years old children in any or all venues where alcohol is legally served to those majors of legal drinking age? Or are children of that age prohibited from being in all places -- including churches -- that serve alcohol?

Since laws vary from state-to-state, I have no doubt there are some strange ones out there. I don't know of any churches that would be understood to 'serve' alcohol by giving a sip of communion wine. In any case, I would be suprised to see a legal restriction in a Hilton executive lounge - usually such restrictions are in place for businesses that derive a majority of their revenue from alcohol sales (at least in my state).

There is nothing to prevent a hotel from going beyond the minimums required as part of the official HHonors benefits if the hotel so wishes. If the hotel so wishes to extend such benefits to other guests above and beyond the Gold/Diamond member + one guest, I would feel foolish telling the hotel to enforce a "rule" that is not a rule for that hotel. If being disturbed in the lounge was an issue for me, then perhaps it would make more sense to inform the hotel that the noisy and/or overcrowded nature of the lounge is making me reconsider my travel purchase decisions going forward than demanding enforcement of a "rule" that is no rule.

Agreed - I merely considered offering the obviously distressed concierge a non-confrontational option that has been employed by Hilton Hotels in the past. An extra perk given by a hotel can obviously be taken away from guests who abuse it.

As far as the OP is concerned, I think the message is that while executive lounge access for children is not required by Hilton policy, most hotels are friendly towards extra guests within reason.

OT: The lounge wasn't noisy or crowded except in the vicinity of the two running, screaming children, so it wouldn't make sense to reconsider my travel habits. As I said, there were several families with children in the lounge, only one family was out of place.

Since laws vary from state-to-state, I have no doubt there are some strange ones out there. I don't know of any churches that would be understood to 'serve' alcohol by giving a sip of communion wine. In any case, I would be suprised to see a legal restriction in a Hilton executive lounge - usually such restrictions are in place for businesses that derive a majority of their revenue from alcohol sales (at least in my state).

More than a few jurisdictions passed laws that exempted churches from restrictions against serving minors alcohol as part of religious ceremonies because it was understood that churches were serving alcohol not just in the presence of minors but to minors directly.

In many a jurisdiction -- in the US and beyond the US -- restrictions on serving of alcohol are also applicable to other entities than just those that derive a majority of their revenue from alcohol sales (even as those kind of entities may be covered too). But I've yet to come across a jurisdiction where I know it to be illegal to have six-years old children in any or all venues where alcohol is legally served to those majors of legal drinking age. One example of such a jurisdiction would be enough to satisfy my question. [Amongst "examples" that won't satisfy the question are: 1) jurisdictions that allow for minors to be present in an alcohol-serving venue when accompanied by a parental guardian or other acceptable adult supervision; or b) jurisdictions that allow for minors to witness -- in person -- or partake in the serving and/or consumption of communion wine.]

I think you remembered incorrectly. When i go somewhere with my two kids, i do not expect hilton to tell me my 6 year old will be denied access to the Executive lounge.

I have never had a problem either. At every UK hotel this year I have always been allowed to take my 8 and 5 year old to the lounge or given complimentary breakfast. Also no problem last 2 weeks ago in Italy.

YMMV big time.

Official rule: you plus one guest
Lounges: most places I've been to are pretty lax as long as kids aren't running around.

Best bet, ask the front desk VERY nicely.

This weekend at the San Diego Mission Valley was the first time I have been told only 2 coupons per room when I asked for an extra for my daughter. Every other time in pretty much every Hilton brand I have been given an extra coupon for her.

Hilton has a policy that kids in the same room get free breakfast if the parents are paying for breakfast. I would think that this also applies to the complimentary one in the EL.

I have seen policy restrictions on children in the EL. Several lounges specifically state that once complimentary alcohol is served in the lounge (usually after 6PM), kids under 16 are not longer allowed in, even if accompanied with parents.

I have never had an issue with taking kids to the lounge or restaurant for breakfast, Hilton, Hyatt, or *wood.

This weekend at the San Diego Mission Valley was the first time I have been told only 2 coupons per room when I asked for an extra for my daughter. Every other time in pretty much every Hilton brand I have been given an extra coupon for her.

I am going to NYC in November and will book two rooms under my name and Diamond status, does that mean I will get 4 coupons(All eat free breakfast).?

I am going to NYC in November and will book two rooms under my name and Diamond status, does that mean I will get 4 coupons(All eat free breakfast).?

I don't know about Hiltons in NYC, but when I reserved 2 rooms under my name/number, both rooms got free breakfast.

Just thought I'd offer this, I just returned from Quebec where it is prohibited to have anyone under the age of 18 in a lounge, including an executive lounge atmosphere. At the Hilton Quebec (where I stayed), the hotel enforced this policy which was given to me (along with the lounge hours, etc.,) at the time of checkin. I did not see one person under the age of 18 in the lounge the entire time. I'm sure the hotel likely has an alternate offer for families.

I am going to NYC in November and will book two rooms under my name and Diamond status, does that mean I will get 4 coupons(All eat free breakfast).?

We got free breakfast for 4 when I booked 2 Award rooms at the Doubletree Guest Suites in Times Square. It was 3 years ago and we just had to give the room number at the restaurant upon entering. Since then, I have had quite a few paid and Award reservations and as Diamond, we have always been given Exec Lounge access or breakfast vouchers for the 2 rooms (4 adults and 1 child). Never been refused yet.

My experience as a diamond:

Executive lounge access for my immediate family (wife & 4 kids) has always been provided. Even when I have 2 rooms booked and upgraded.

At hotels where there is no lounge or certificates are provided (HHV, Cancun main building, etc) I get 2 certs per room. I have not had much success in getting around this. In the end since I get 2 rooms, I will get 4 certs so it is still a good deal.

Goz

We have never had a problem bringing our children into the Executive lounges for breakfast.

In my experience, it depends. In "regular" Hilton's, I typically get a voucher for EACH person who is listed under my reservation--including children under all circumstances. At HGI, I've found that breakfast vouchers depend on the property. Several times I've checked in with all four of us listed on the reservation and we've only recieved two coupons.