rraskopf

I am planning to book a stay at Hilton San Francisco Union Square. I am a Gold member. If I book two rooms in my name, will four guests be able to receive free continental breakfast?

Thanks in advance.

travelinfoo

The T&C specifically say the free continental breakfast is for the Gold member and ONE registered guest sharing the room, dosn't matter how many rooms you've booked. Some hotels do provide more but it is NOT an expected benefit. Your entitlement is for TWO breakfasts ONLY. If you get more, be grateful. If you get your two breakfasts only, you have no standing for demanding more.

Check out the Union Square forum thread to see what ppl have experienced in the past though past reviews do NOT predict future behavior. From a few scattered reports, hotels are now sticking close to the T&C for Golds and giving more flexibility to Diamonds.

MS02113

While I can't speak to Gold treatment in general or Hilton San Francisco Union Square policies in particular, as a Diamond I normally receive two breakfast vouchers per room.

smmrfld

In your case, the point is moot. Golds only receive a Starbucks coupon at that property; Diamonds receive a choice of Starbucks or continental breakfast.

ILovetheReds

I wouldn't count on it at that property. I stayed there with my wife and two kids last year. I booked one room for two as a diamond and she booked one room as two as a gold. We did this so we could have a total of four breakfasts and we took one room and the little reds took the other room.

The breakfast for a diamond is sufficient, it's a continential buffet in the restaurant or you can use it at the starbucks for a coffee drink, piece or fruit and pastry if you aren't that hungry. For golds, they are cheap, it's only good at the starbucks, you will not be able to use it at the restaraunt as a gold unless the policies have changed since she stayed there last in July.

I asked that all four of us could eat in the breakfast buffet in the restaurant since we were travelling together and I was flat out told no. However all four of us were able to use my vouchers two mornings in the restaurant and use all four of hers at starbucks the other two days. If it is still vouchers and you are there more than one day you can use four at Starbucks one morning and another morning eat elsewhere (there are plenty of places nearby to eat at).

I stayed there one other time with my wife and one of our kids in the same room (room was booked in my name since I was a diamond) and we were only given two vouchers, they wouldn't budge on giving us a third voucher (and I have no grounds to complain and didn't) so they are pretty rigid about enforcing the T&C at that property.

lcohen999

I would say a 10 minute walk to Sears would be a better breakfast choice in San Fran, even if you have to pay for it

cordelli

Per the program terms for Hiltons

1,000 HHonors Bonus Points per stay or a complimentary continental breakfast for you and up to one additional guest registered to the same room each day of your stay

Stephan54

Up to now I received upgrades and breakfast for two rooms as a Gold.

smmrfld

T&Cs don't apply to that property...Gold is still not gonna get a continental breakfast...unless you consider a Starbucks coffee, pastry, and piece of fruit - which you need to eat standing up, in a chair in that zoo of a lobby, on the run, or in your room - to be a comparable benefit to the outstanding buffet offered gratis to Diamonds. HH seems to be rolling out the Starbucks thing wherever it can.

ILovetheReds

Golds really get hosed at that property compared to Diamonds. My wife is gold and I am diamond and there are several properties we both have stayed at where I received a better benefit as a diamond for breakfast than she did as a gold.

At the Doubletree in New Orleans, I received the full breakfast buffet gratis and she was told staying there as a gold she could only receive the continential gratis and there was a surcharge for the full buffet. Same at the DT in times square (although it sounds like DT either fixed that or she was given bad info). The Hilton Atlanta has a good continential breakfast in their lounge when I stay there as a diamond and when she stays there as a gold, if she is not on the upper two floors she gets a bagged continential breakfast and no lounge access. And at this property in SF I get a nice continential buffet in the restaurant as a diamond and she only has the option of Starbucks.

Hilton needs to be more consistant and give golds the same breakfast benefit as diamonds. The T&C are the same for breakfast for both levels. If Hilton is going to give the breakfast buffet to a diamond at the SF property, they should give it to golds. If they aren't willing to give it to HH golds, then HH diamonds should also have to settle for Starbucks.

Diamond is a higher level than gold, but golds spend a lot of money with Hilton as well. In order to be gold, one must stay 16 stays or 30 nights or spend $6,000 a year with Hilton. That is a lot of revenue for Hilton to be receiving and those guests deserve more than a starbucks coffee and pastry from a lobby kiosk.

ILovetheReds

The continental buffet is pretty tasty here. And you can upgrade to a hot breakfast for only $10. However, Hilton should also offer that to golds as well. If they are going to give Diamonds a nice breakfast, they should offer it to golds as well. If it's too expensive of a benefit to offer golds, then diamonds should also not be given a choice and get only the Starbucks option

poser

I think it depends on the hotel..

I stayed at a tree tree(3 guests, 2 rooms) and we received breakfast for everyone.

jamesteroh

I like the starbucks option at the SF Hilton. If I am travelling solo I eat downstairs at the buffet with one coupon and use the other later in the afternoon when I return for a coffee drink and a pastry and fruit for later. If I am with someone else and we decide to eat elsewhere in SF for breakfast our starbucks fix is handled later that day with the breakfast coupons.

I agree the seating needs changed there. But at the Palmer House in Chicago (which I love the property outside of it's overcrowded lounge) I wish they would give a coupon to diamonds for breakfast to the starbucks on the street level because you can't even find a seat there at breakfast and are forced to carry your food back to your room because they don't enforce the T&C of the HHonors program for lounge access.

As to the OP's question, you aren't out anything by asking. Just depends on the property. When I stayed there one time with two other guests in my room, I was only given two vouchers a day. But we were there for four nights, so I received eight vouchers. We ate at Sears and Lori's two of the mornings, in the restaurant two of the mornings and used the other vouchers at Starbucks. Like another poster said if you are there multiple nights and they only give you two vouchers total per day just dine elsewhere (Sears and Loris and Specialties are all nearby and very good) one morning and dine there the other morning with four of the vouchers.

Seems like properties aren't consistant with breakfast. There are times there will be three of us in the same room and some properties will give all three of us breakfast and other times enforce the T&C.

jamesteroh

I see nothing wrong with Hilton giving a better breakfast to Diamonds than golds, providing they fulfil the T&C's to Gold members. I have said before that I think Hilton should offer a hot breakfast as a benefit to diamonds if there is no lounge. If I stay at a Marriott as a Gold, I have no problems with them giving more benefits to Platniums as long as they are meeting the promised benefits to me as a gold.

You have to remember with the new Citi card, you can be a gold member by simply forking over only $95 a year.

cordelli

I disagree. As with everything Hilton, I believe they should follow the terms and conditions at a minimum. If they want to to above and beyond that for diamonds, then it's a bonus for the higher status.

Diamond is a higher status than gold, and if a hotel wants to reward somebody for reaching that higher status, they should be allowed to, as long as the people at the lower status are getting the benefits they are qualified for.