benny248

For Hyatt, the policy states that if there is a lounge, then continental breakfast is automatically included for Diamonds (and without giving up a welcome amenity); where there isn't a lounge open, full breakfast is provided.

However, I've been Diamond for two years and I've always had a "full" breakfast, regardless of whether this was in the lounge or restaurant. And, of course, my wife and son have always been welcomed. Hyatt still seems far better to me in this area.

Keyser

free breakfast....finally....^^

Sawasdee

Second that! We stayed at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek on points and have 2 rooms. Each room has 2 adults and 2 small children. All 8 of us had "full" breakfast at their restaurant! ^^

dmgt

One Westin I stay at now gives complimentary continental breakfast or you can buy up. They give an $11 dollar credit. My single poached egg on sourdough toast costs less than the credit so no charge. I have to ask for a bill so I can tip. They find this hard as they have to post something. So I have them charge me .25 for some hot water than give a decent tip.

May vary by property but with over 200 nights in hotels last year and over 170 at spg properties don't want a full breakfast.






less th

dmgt

I'm with you for longer stays. My short trips when I just want a light breakfast I will continue to buy some yogurt and select the 500 points

Now for my 10 days in Aruba in March with my wife the complimentary continental breakfast is a no-brainer.

gdemander

I think you could speculate over above that. What is your speculation? We won't tell anyone.

My speculation is that they will include your toddler.
Imagine-
You: I am a platinum and would like to enjoy your toast and orange juice with my wife and young child.
Hotel: NO! Only your wife gets toast and orange juice! Your toddler must wait in your room.

I don't see it. Will it happen between now and the future, probably. Will it happen often, I speculate no. I would imagine, especially in the near future, your toddler will be able to get some toast.

Nevsky

I can, perhaps understand, not offering a full breakfast if there is not a breakfast buffet, but if there is one, the "continental breakfast" should permit access to the full buffet.

jammanxc

i can imagine it at the Westin LAX now....

platinum breakfast

1 pastry from the starbucks cart
1 coffee/drink from the starbucks cart


are they ever going to change it??

Points Surfer

True for most business travellers a free continental breakfast is irrelevant when expensing travel so not a draw unless for personal travel or a business owner really. Ideally for Plats a comp full breakfast + the regular gift would be an enhancement. I would have liked them to follow the lead of Delta Hotels in Canada and offer a free full breakfast, restaurant or room service, with tip included to Plat and their Plat+ levels (and including spouse too).....great for personal travels and a valued added item for business stays ie justification to stay at a "nicer" hotel given free full breakfast savings sort of deal.

Overall the current changes have little appeal to me....why? Well on business I'm happy with my upgrades as Plat and for personal I learned a long time ago to book what I want and not gamble on upgrades....so unless I have an opportunity to earn more SPG points at my current level to spend the most Starwood will get from me is 25/50 and I'll continue to diversity my stays with other programs for added benefits...good to see spg being creative to reward high stay customers but not so much for the average SPG traveller...just my personal opinion and still an SPG fan.

jammanxc

perfect timing for me as well, have 10 stays planned in europe towards the end of april.. cant wait to see what they have to offer

Leumas

$32 for a bowl of cereal, pastries and a coffee?! (Yes, I know you can have multiples.)

But you're in Melbourne, just pop outside for some real breakfast. Melbourne is arguably the cafe capital of Australia. There's a nice cafe literally right outside the hotel, and there's even a Starbucks if you're feeling unwell.

itsaboutthejourney

As said otherwise in this thread, lounge access does not change nor affect your welcome amenity choices.

See post #2: The hotels have been given guidance from SPG as to what a minimum definition of a continental breakfast is and the above scenario does not qualify. They want hotels to be able to customize their offerings (especially say in Europe vs Asia vs US) but typically there should be some cereal, yoghurt, and juice as well as the coffee/tea and pastry.

[I will disclose here that I had the opportunity to meet several members of the SPG team and get a briefing on many of these announcements. So while my notes are all from memory of the discussion, I did hear things directly from the SPG team and hope my chiming in does not confuse anything that the Lurkers/official company reps may say.]

This is something where SPG can 'lead the horse to water' and they don't want to dictate to the properties how they set-up their restaurants but I think the hope is that such property you describe will find it easier and in everyone's best interest to just give access to their existing buffet if they don't offer menu service with a continental option.

Dudemon

This is an involuntary downgrade.
(think SPG luggage tags?!)

As mentioned in at least two prior posts most Sheraton's offer Platinum guests a full breakfast option, "Sir, you can have breakfast in the lounge or the restaurant."

Now we will have to make a choice, on what will undoubtably appear to be a arbitrary basis. Some hotels will view the new option as a constraint and we will have less then we currently do.

I was a HH Diamond for 9 years and the saddest thing to see happens (other then losing the SAF8 award) was being put in a position where we had to choose between breakfast, an UG or internet. Generally I have come to expect all three at Sheraton and SPG.

The Plt tiers are interesting as I'm sure there are a number of us who apply our stays at multiple brands in order to maximize our status benefits. This new part of the program may generate marginal revenue for SPG but I'll hold my thoughts until I get a more thorough understanding of the program changes.

charder

for me the free breakfast is pretty worthless as my company is paying for it. So SPG is loosing revenue and I'm not gaining anything except on private stays. But then I really prefer a good breakfast in a nearby cafe over a continental breakfast in the hotel.

I assume this is the case for most business travellers

derpelikan

i have the feeling, that spg with the march changes is adressing our private needs.

when our companies pay for travel, we get breakfast paid etc.

but on our private holidays, a breakfast for two is certainly welcome.
lets say i stay at the W Hotel in HKG, i use the 5 upgrade vouchers to upgrade to a nice suite, + i choose breakfast and i get free internet...

well i for my holiday stay, everything is covered.

i like this, adding benefits and not reducing. that i like

well done spg

dp