monumia

Can someone share the GM name or contact info? Highly appreciate it. Todd Temperly no longer there.

jrenee

Any updates on how the Hilton Diamond Breakfast is being handled? We'll be there soon so just trying to prepare myself after all of the confusion surrounding this over the past couple of months.

bmkj

Just got back from Grand Wailea. I had called a few weeks back to confirm that the $15 certificates were only good from 5pm - 8pm as discussed on this thread. I was told that was the case and that there was no breakfast benefit for Diamond members, just the certificates. So I checked in on July 28th for 4 nights and was handed 8 $15 certificates (2 per day max can be used) and told they can only be used for breakfast in the grand dining room or in room dining anytime. I inquired what happened and was told they got push back from Hilton for not having a breakfast benefit and they had just changed the rules this past week.

No problem using them for breakfast or in room dining. I did both. The room service can be used for anytime of day. The breakfast only in the grand dining room for either buffet or a la carte.

Hope this helps all of you who are planning.

P.S. - Also got bath salts, and I booked on points at 95K/night for a terrace/mountain view, but got an upgrade to an ocean view looking out directly over pools and beach.

Eujeanie

That sounds like good news and bad news.

How much was the breakfast in the grand dining room? If it's $50 per person, no thanks. We used to get the breakfast benefit anywhere, including Cafe Kula where your $15 more than covered a pastry and coffee (which was fine with us).

So you can now ONLY use them for breakfast in the fancy place (I don't even know where the grand dining room IS at that hotel) or room service? You can't use them at Cafe Kula (or other venues) for lunch or dinner? (we liked their pizza).

Why can't they just credit you a dollar amount that can be used anywhere at any time?? (like the Hilton Hawaiian Village, for example).

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bmkj

The buffet breakfast in the Grand Dining Room is $39 per person. A la carte is less depending on what you order. We didn't try to use the certs at Cafe Kula so don't know whether they would accept them. But they specifically said dining room or room service only.

Eujeanie

So it's basically a $24 (plus tax and tip) out of pocket expense to have breakfast. Terrific. Even if you can use 2 at once means you don't have one for another day.

fwdlink

Hi all, coming back to also weigh in and confirm, we checked in on the 31st July and are still here. @bmkj is correct, I also had them tell me that the changes to the benefits came into play after the complaints and push back and that the changes just took place in the last weeks.

Gold and Diamond choosing the Continental Breakfast Benefit receive up to 2 $15 certificates for the Grand Dining Room or Room Service, 2 can be used daily max and ANY meal (which translates to any other meal than breakfast will be via In-Room Dining.) In the Grand Dining room you can either do the menu or buffet, just ask for a menu.
Gold also receives a box of chocolates and space available upgrade.
Diamond receives a box of bath salts and space available upgrade.
Certs do not work at the Cafe.

Like @bmkj we booked a Terrace room at 95K plus the free nights every 5 nights and we have been upgraded to a Deluxe Ocean View room, and the room we have really has a great view and we're really pleased, out our front door is a superb view of Haleakala. Frankly the view we have is far better than the view we had in the Napua suites last time, so we can't complain.

@Eujenie, your assumptions are only assuming you go for the buffet, you can choose the menu, we chose to do this today for example as the buffet is far too much food than we had only a couple bucks plus tip with a plate of food we still didn't finish and we are not small eaters by any stretch and we came out full and happy. Also you can use for In-Room dining so your not restricted as you assume in your earlier post.

Frankly considering we aren't paying the resort fee being on points and the flexibility now, it's better than we have experienced at WA in Orlando which was a terrible conti breakfast totally restricted, we aren't going to complain. If it was as others experienced recently I would equally be mad as anything, this compromise works for us.

GW is a nice property (stayed here before so have previous level expectation) and nothing in this world is for free, loyalty or not, but views differ, only hope people expecting not to pay anything at least reach into their pocket and tip the staff as they are excellent and work hard. We have not experienced anyone with a bad attitude or lack of willingness to help, so we are either lucky or who knows what.

All in all a pleasant stay and frankly relieved after seeing what has been said here and on Trip Advisor, we're still here so of course it could change, hope not.

@monumia the new contact is Cindy Racco

Obviously everyone's mileage may vary and differing views on value for money or points, this is just our experience thus far, hope it helps.

Eujeanie

Thank you. I'm surprised $15 would cover anything on the menu at a resort like that - glad to hear I'm wrong. It's still a shame it can't be used at Cafe Kula because, like you, we don't need much in the morning, and our room was a straight shot down that wing - very convenient.

I'd also have to see the prices on the room service menu - if $15 covers coffee and a croissant or muffin then that's fine, too.

I just don't like having to pay out of pocket for my "complimentary" breakfast, and we do tip well, even when the meal is "free".

Oh I've been in the Grand Dining Room (just looked at the website) - we went there for their big fancy Sunday Brunch, very nice.

Softwizard

IMHO, all of this whining about free breakfast has been resolved. First, Cafe Kula was overwhelmed with vouchers each morning. I was there in March and waited for almost an hour most mornings because Cafe Kula was not meant to serve the multitude of people redeeming $15 vouchers. So I don't miss being able to redeem them there. If I want a <$15 quick breakfast, I am happy to pay and earn HHonors points.

Second, Room Service and the Grand Buffet are MUCH better food options, plus they can handle the load. Having a $30 discount each day off this seems to me to be a perfectly good compromise from Hilton and GW. When Hilton implemented the free breakfast benefit, I don't think they took into account places like the Grand Buffet, which is easily the best breakfast I have had at any WA or Conrad (both Hilton luxury properties).

For anyone to call this a "mediocre" resort is ludicrous.

BlueZebra

Would love to see other options with the coupons, as we eat lunch at the pool or in our cabana regularly.

ChinaShrek

Actually, I think this "Grand" buffet is mediocre (although I enjoyed the resort). None of the pastries are homemade. Some of them even tasted a day or two old. When I was there (in February), the fruit did not seem fresh and some of it obviously came from a can. Items ordered off of the menu took 15-20 minutes to arrive. Finally, they do not serve the same coffee as Cafe Kula, which is Kona coffee! The "Grand" buffet coffee is no better than Maxwell House.

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