I went around and around with HHonors customer service over something like this today.

My Gold VIP Tier Preference choice for Doubletrees is free internet--I had a US property tell me that NO ONE gets free internet, but Gold & up get free breakfast. The issue is only $10/day--either I pay an additional $10 to get breakfast or internet. For me, if I take a rate that includes breakfast, that $10 gets reimbursed. If I have to pay $10 for internet, it's not reimbursed.

I didn't want a conflict at check-in/out, so I called HHonors CS for clarification--did my prefererence hold, or not.

Ughhhhhh! She first tried to tell me that the hotel could give me whatever they wanted to--no matter what I wanted. I told her that meant that customer "preferences" were crap. She called the property and finally admitted that NOW, the customer's choice prevails and it is, indeed, A or B or C or D--but NOT free breakfast AND A or B or C or D.

In the end, it meant booking a rate that included breakfast and taking along a copy of my preference list to show that when staying at Doubletrees, I'm to get free internet.