I am a recent Gold and have a question for more experienced travelers re Gold/Platinum Upgrade. I apologize in advance if this was covered in another post. HHonors' terms and conditions for both the Gold and Platinum provide the following benefit:

"Upgrade to Executive Floor (if available), OR Executive Floor Lounge access (if the hotel has a Lounge), OR complimentary continental breakfast for the member and one guest each day of the stay. If the rate already includes breakfast, a special food and beverage amenity will be presented."

This language seems to suggest that a guest would get either a room upgrade or free breakfast but not both. However, almost all of the posts by the good folks here seem to suggest that getting complimentary breakfast is a given and that sometimes, a guest could get both.

Has anyone here been forced to choose or denied a free breakfast based upon the hotel providing an upgrade?

Executive floor gives you lounge access where you can get breakfast. If you do not get lounge you will be given breakfast coupons for the restaurant

You always get a free breakfast.

It's all about where you get breakfast!

Whew. When I read the thread title, I was thinking this was another "enhancement" to Gold status. Would you like a crappy standard low-floor next-to-elevator smoking room with two double beds or would you rather go down the street to find your breakfast?

Clearly the "or" in this case is used in the guests' favor: no matter what kind of facilities the hotel has (or whether the lounge is open), you get breakfast - independent of whether you received a room upgrade.

The key point here being where there is a lounge. At Hilton's the HHonors benefit seems fairly diverse. But, I'll concur that at all US properties, where there is the "OR" in the term for breakfast, you still get it. Heck, I've had several times where I've opted for points and still gotten the breakfast.

Be aware that this rule only applies to north american properties. On a recent stay in CMB I was upgraded to a mediocre suite but declined breakfast - this seems to be in-line with HH Terms but never ever happened to me in before. Might be a new enhancement or just the very greedy interpretation of the local Manager.

I had the same experience at the Hilton Cologne last week. Upgrade to a deluxe room, no breakfast. Mainz Hilton only offered free breakfast for me but not for my wife

Well this seems to be the new policy now. I stayed at the Waldorf just 2 weeks ago and I was offered breakfast OR coupons for drinks OR an upgrade. I am Diamond BTW

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.

Thanks for posting your experiences.

On a few (NA) check-ins recently I've had "points" or something similar handwritten on my pre-processed checkin details. Clearly this is a cue to the desk clerk about breakfast coupons/upgrading/etc.

I've been gold for some years now (never seem to quite make Diamond) and I have always gotten both, if the upgrade is available. I always ask on check in about the upgrade and breakfast certs. Most of the time, if there is no exec lounge, breakfast certs are waiting already inserted in with my reservation. If not, they generally will get them for me, regardless of whether or not the room has been upgraded.

Also, keep in mind that the benefit changes based on your chain. Many chains already have free breakfasts - e.g. Hampton, Embassy. Some don't offer the room upgrade per HH rules, but you can always ask and usually will get it.

This is terrible, I got an upgraded room and free breakfast at CGN. Did they explicitly mention that it is either one or the other? And BF is for all guests, never had this issue anywhere.

Just got back from overseas trip. Used awards for 2 Hilton stays. I am Gold.

London Paddington, was told no exec floor or lounge access. then told no breakfast since they had already given me an "upgrade" to a room that was not ready. I reqeuest that they put me back in my original room and give me the breakfast instead. After much confusion, they said that the "upgraded" room was ready and we could keep it and they would also give us breakfast. They did honor it for 3 people in the room (which was listed on the original reservation). Good thing the breakfast was free, it was 19.99 lbs or $40 a person for the very worst buffet I have ever had (worst than Denny's breakfast in the US).

On the other hand at the Sandton Hilton (Johannesburg, SA). They upgraded us to a suite, and sent up wine and fruit and chocolate. Exec lounge was oversold and breakfast was not included, but the breakfast (which was about $16 person) was some of the best and most assorted food you could want (along with great service).

So outside the US, it can be spotty. Although I have usually been upgraded to the Exec level, when I travel off peak.

In Thailand, I ge upgrade about half the time, as it is subjected to avail. However I always get free breakfast at the club lounge.

Was there in March and got upgraded room and two free breakfast. Will be there this weekend again and will see if same is still valid.