Hilton Soon to Remove Free Breakfast at Global Properties

Those days of waking up refreshed after a great night’s sleep and stopping by the lobby for a hot continental breakfast are long gone. Since the COVID pandemic, hotel brands have reshaped their continental breakfast options, affecting the many loyal travelers looking forward to the perk during their stays. As of 2021, Hilton has made a drastic update to eliminate the complimentary breakfast perk for its Gold and Diamond HiltonHonors members in the US. The many who speculated that this was a temporary solution have been met with news of the perk removal across even more of its properties.

Hilton Global Properties Now Excluded from Free Breakfast

Previously HiltonHonors Gold and Diamond members received a free continental breakfast as a membership perk at qualifying hotel brands around the world:

• Waldorf Astoria
• LXR
• Conrad
• Hilton
• Signia by Hilton
• DoubleTree
• Curio Collection
• Tapestry Collection
• Canopy
• Motto
• Hilton Garden Inn

However, an update to the HiltonHonors terms and conditions extended the removal of the perk for US properties through 2022. The latest update to their terms and conditions reveals that complimentary continental breakfast will soon include these properties worldwide. 

Currently, properties under the Motto brand have experienced the perk removal. However, the remaining hotel brands will soon follow.

Food and Beverage Credit

To replace the previous complimentary breakfast perk, HiltonHonors Gold and Diamond members now receive a food and beverage (F&B) credit during their stay. Hilton offers F&B credits ranging from $10-20 credit per guest per day to use at on-site hotel cafes, bars, and restaurants. F&B credit varies by property.

Pros and Cons of F&B Credit vs. Free Continental Breakfast

Removing free continental breakfast comes as bad news for some HiltonHonors members, while others welcome the change. As travelers now experience the “new normal” of travel, it’s a solution that Hilton has tested in the US and will soon be applied across all its properties worldwide.

Some of the benefits of having F&B Credit instead of a free continental breakfast are:

• More dining flexibility for choosing where, what, and when to eat
• Reducing crowds in dining rooms

The downside to having F&B credit instead of free breakfast are:

• Potentially lower value in credits compared to what guests previously received in free breakfast options
• Dining credits are limited per room instead of per guest – maximum value applicable when two or more guests

When Will Free Breakfast Removal Happen?

HiltonHonors Gold and Diamond members have already been impacted by the complimentary breakfast updates domestically since first announcing the change in July 2021. For members traveling internationally, the change is also already in place for the Motto brand properties. With the Hilton terms and conditions already updated as of December 2022, the official rollout of F&B credit only at select global properties can begin happening throughout 2023.

Bottom Line

While replacing the free breakfast with F&B credit doesn’t devalue the HiltonHonors loyalty program, it’s a policy change that can change the way travelers experience Hilton. Whether you consider the transition a positive or negative for the chain, global travelers should enjoy the perk while it lasts before it becomes a mainstay for Hilton.

Leave a comment about whether you prefer to have free breakfast or the F&B credit.