ILovetheReds

After reading the thread about the rumor of all Hiltons and DT's being required to have lounges in either July or by year end, I asked someone at the SF Union Square Hilton about it on my most recent stay to see if they were going to have a lounge. The employee said he heard rumors that they were going to be required to provide all diamonds a full breakfast.

I was at Checkers in LA last week and mentioned to an employee I missed the full breakfast they use to give diamonds. She told me she heard that this summer they were going to be giving diamonds a full breakfast again.

My stay at the Hilton on 42nd by 2nd in NYC, they had no lounge, but gave a full breakfast to both diamonds and golds and as a diamond gave me two drink chits.


Is it possible a full breakfast will be a benefit for diamonds finally? Or perhaps hotels will have to provide a full breakfast or another benefit if there is no lounge?

It will be nice if Hilton finally starts adding benefits instead of taking them away.

Minneapolis

It would be a welcome perk! As Marriott devalues their program to the point of near-irrelevance, Hilton is improving theirs. Kudos!

dw

It would definitely be a nice way to distinguish Diamonds from Golds.. and would definitely be competitive with what Hyatt has done for some time.

I think we're already seeing this at some properties without lounges, as reports are that Golds are being offered the continental breakfast option in the restaurant whereas Diamonds are being given access to the full buffet.

jamesteroh

It's a benefit everyone would love to see. And if the rumors are true about all Hiltons and Doubletree's having to have lounges, it would make sense to allow properties to offer a full breakfast instead like with Hyatt diamonds. There are some Hiltons that don't have the room for a lounge and/or have no executive floor or enough diamonds to justify a lounge.

I like staying at properties that offer a full breakfast to diamonds. Or at least offer a better breakfast choice such as the SF Union Square Hilton. I was disappointed that the Bentley in Miami beach no longer gives diamonds a full breakfast. Hopefully this rumor is true and they will resume that benefit again.

mrjay

While I rarely care to eat a full breakfast, I would welcome it as an option and would definitely see it as another incentive to maintain Diamond status level.

Crazyhotelguy

I would welcome this change.

Points Scrounger

The current system makes Hilton look especially miserly at properties such as the Hilton and Doubletree in Portland, Oregon where there's a single buffet, with servers having to play "bad cop" in enforcing the upcharge for taking "hot" items.

Andriyko

This benefit would be very much welcomed if it ever appeared to be true.

diver858

We stayed at the Hilton Resort in Palm Springs last weekend, Diamonds are given GCs for a CONTINENTAL (muffin, coffee, juice only) breakfast, which requires an upgrade for their BASIC (Hampton-like) buffet, even more for the full buffet.

Even worse, the server and manager pressured us in to upgrading; treated us like thieves when we refused to do so Saturday morning, better when we splurged Sunday. Strangest part is that the waiter pulled continental from the buffet, effectively costing the hotel more money then allowing us to serve ourselves.

So like everything else when it comes to Hhonors benefits, any such change will be YMMV, vary by property.

mapu

I always get a full breakfast as a diamond member but all of my stays are outside the US.

colpuck

It would be nice, but I doubt it will happen. there is probably too much push back from owners over the lounge requirement (has that been confirmed?) for Hilton to do this to them as well.

dw

Perhaps it will be one of the two, like at Hyatt. If there is a lounge, Diamonds just get whatever breakfast is served in the lounge, but if there is no lounge, Diamonds get a full breakfast in the restaurant.

travelinfoo

This is the most probable scenario. Right now, at ex-US hotels, I have been usually given the choice of restaurant breakfast (often full) or EL breakfast. I usually went with restaurant because the selection was better. with the requirement of putting in an EL, I can see Hilton ONLY allowing Diamonds and Golds ONLY being offered an EL breakfast. But I do think the EL breakfast will prb be upgraded to offer a couple of hot selection at least.

ILovetheReds

That was my impression from the conversations I had with employees.

When I asked the SF Union Square employee about the lounge reopening he told me that he hadn't heard anything about a lounge returning but did tell me he heard the rumors of the hot breakfast.

Same at Checkers in LA. The employee didn't mention anything about a lounge returning.

It would seem this would be a lot cheaper alternative than a lounge at many Hilton and many HH diamonds would prefer this, especially if they included drink chits. I would rather have a hot breakfast in the restaurant than fight for a seat in a crowded lounge with just cold offerings and possibly oatmeal. If you consider the expense of adding a lounge, the possiblity of room rental revenue loss if they have to convert a room(s) or conference area to a lounge, the staffing, etc. And they would also have to give lounge access to all diamonds and anyone on the exec level, with the hot breakfast they would only have to give it to diamond guests.

ILovetheReds

They would still have that issue at those properties if they do give Diamonds a full breakfast, seeing that golds would probably still only get the continential breakfast and the paying guests probably have an option between the continential and full buffet at difference prices.

I have seen that behavior from employees at the DT in New Orleans in the french quarter as well. There are two buffet options for paying guests, golds get a continential buffet comped with the option of an upcharge for a full buffet and diamonds get the full buffet free. One time when we were staying there there was a gold complaining with the server at the table beside us that he had to an upgrade fee for the full buffet and he heard them tell our table and another table there was no charge for the full buffet. The server said that it was because the two tables were diamond and the gold was pulling a DYKWIA that they charged them a fee for a full breakfast and not diamonds. I can see some servers having golds complain if this does become a policy and they only give the full breakfast to diamonds.

I am also wondering if maybe it will be tested out in CA properties first??? Both properties I heard this rumor from are in CA.