We know if there’s one thing TPG readers love, it’s free breakfast. And for elite Hilton Honors members, it’s a very important perk.
But a recent change to the terms and conditions on Hilton’s website has people wondering if change is in the air outside the U.S.
Last year, Hilton moved away from offering the complimentary continental breakfast benefit in the U.S. for Gold and Diamond elite members in favor of a $10-$25 food and beverage credit. While Hilton claimed the credit offered more flexibility to guests, many elite members considered the change a downgrade to the program.
Outside the U.S., the complimentary continental breakfast benefit stayed the same.
Then, this month, Hilton updated the language in its terms and conditions, leaving many people to speculate if Hilton could be ditching free breakfast outside the U.S. just as it did within our borders.
Previously, the terms and conditions stated that on-property Hilton Honors benefits included “complimentary snacks and beverages, complimentary continental breakfast (All-Inclusive hotels, hotels with Executive Lounges, and non-U.S. only), Daily Food & Beverage Credit (U.S. only, when guest does not have access to Executive Lounge.”
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The updated version now reads, “Qualification for all on-property Hilton Honors benefits, including complimentary Internet and MyWay benefits such as complimentary snacks and beverages, complimentary continental breakfast OR a Daily Food & Beverage Credit (varies by brand and region).”
This updated language could imply that international Hilton hotels now have the option to offer the same food and beverage credit as U.S. hotels in place of a full continental breakfast.
TPG reached out to Hilton for clarification and was told that there are “no changes in the U.S. or internationally.” As the representative explained, the confusion seems to come from the international expansion of Motto by Hilton, which “has always offered food and beverage credit as part of its brand standard.”
Additionally, the spokesperson said, beyond Motto shaking things up by going global, there are “no changes on the broader Hilton Honors F&B program offerings.”
Related: 5 ways to get your hotel breakfast for free
But the new language in the terms and conditions still leaves the door open to changes further down the line. A free full breakfast is a great, money-saving perk — and we’d hate to see that valuable offering be swapped, once again, for a dollar-valued credit that at many hotels barely covers the cost of coffee and a muffin.
