{"id":155705,"date":"2025-03-13T19:30:42","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T19:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/13\/why-i-love-hiltons-approach-with-free-breakfast-for-elite-members-the-points-guy\/"},"modified":"2025-03-13T19:30:42","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T19:30:42","slug":"why-i-love-hiltons-approach-with-free-breakfast-for-elite-members-the-points-guy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/13\/why-i-love-hiltons-approach-with-free-breakfast-for-elite-members-the-points-guy\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I love Hilton&#8217;s approach with &#8216;free&#8217; breakfast for elite members &#8211; The Points Guy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>I don&#8217;t really like breakfast all that much, and, typically, if I&#8217;m eating it while traveling, it&#8217;s because I have an opportunity to eat a local specialty, like a bagel in New York or pain au chocolat in Paris.<\/p>\n<p>So, perhaps unsurprisingly, when Hilton first eliminated complimentary continental breakfast for Gold and Diamond elite members in favor of a <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/news\/hilton-eliminates-free-breakfast-for-elites-15-dining-credit\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">daily per-person food-and-beverage credit<\/a> at U.S. hotels, I welcomed the change and all the new options it opened up for me and my fellow breakfast skippers.<\/p>\n<p>But even for breakfast devotees, the credit still has some advantages that the old system couldn&#8217;t match.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few reasons why my enthusiasm for Hilton&#8217;s approach to &#8220;free&#8221; breakfast has only grown in the years since the rollout \u2014 and why I think more travelers should embrace them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/news\/hilton-honors-breakfast-benefit-fan\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">I tried out the new Hilton Honors &#8216;breakfast&#8217; benefit \u2014 and I&#8217;m a fan<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"variety\" class=\"jsx-2362441780 anchor\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"jsx-2362441780\">Variety<\/h2>\n<p>As a self-professed hotel fanatic, I love nothing more than checking into a property I&#8217;m really excited about and exploring it to the fullest during my stay. I&#8217;m keenly interested in how hotel teams curate local experiences for guests, and so many of those efforts come through dining \u2014 from the design of bar and restaurant spaces to the inclusion of regional ingredients on menus.<\/p>\n<p>With the daily credit, I can explore more options rather than repeatedly visiting the breakfast buffet. On a three-night trip to the <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/hotel\/reviews\/conrad-los-angeles\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Conrad Los Angeles<\/a> last January, my husband and I used one day&#8217;s credit on happy hour snacks at the patio fire pits, another on poolside cocktails and a third on lunch at the rooftop restaurant. I came away from that stay feeling like we&#8217;d really gotten the most out of our time at the hotel (and, by the way, I&#8217;d highly recommend it).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-1853040249 tpg-figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-top:0\" class=\"jsx-36530878 full-width-auto-height-image\"><span style=\"box-sizing:border-box;display:block;overflow:hidden;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;position:relative\"><span style=\"box-sizing:border-box;display:block;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;padding-top:66.625%\"\/><noscript><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"responsive\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%\" sizes=\"100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2025\/03\/20250310_Lunch-at-Conrad-LA_CHelfand.jpg?width=640 640w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2025\/03\/20250310_Lunch-at-Conrad-LA_CHelfand.jpg?width=750 750w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2025\/03\/20250310_Lunch-at-Conrad-LA_CHelfand.jpg?width=828 828w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2025\/03\/20250310_Lunch-at-Conrad-LA_CHelfand.jpg?width=1080 1080w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2025\/03\/20250310_Lunch-at-Conrad-LA_CHelfand.jpg?width=1200 1200w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2025\/03\/20250310_Lunch-at-Conrad-LA_CHelfand.jpg?width=1920 1920w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2025\/03\/20250310_Lunch-at-Conrad-LA_CHelfand.jpg?width=2048 2048w, https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2025\/03\/20250310_Lunch-at-Conrad-LA_CHelfand.jpg?width=3840 3840w\" src=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2025\/03\/20250310_Lunch-at-Conrad-LA_CHelfand.jpg?width=3840\"\/><\/noscript><\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"jsx-1853040249 figcaption\">CARLY HELFAND\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Of course, hotel dining outlets often carry high prices, especially at higher-end resorts where travelers like to use points. So yes, we do sometimes go over the food-and-beverage credit threshold \u2014 but that&#8217;s where the <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/apply-now\/hilton-honors-american-express-surpass-card\/?pid=220312354&amp;tid=post\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hilton Honors American Express Surpass\u00ae Card<\/a> comes in handy. The card comes with quarterly $50 statement credits for purchases made directly with properties in the Hilton portfolio, so even if our stay is covered with points, we can offset other on-property purchases with this benefit.<\/p>\n<p>My husband and I both have a Surpass Card, so when we exceed the daily credit limit, we&#8217;re often reimbursed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"&#10;        EmailSignUp_container__qYzYT&#10;        undefined&#10;        EmailSignUp_isLoading__i_qm0&#10;      \"><picture class=\"EmailSignUp_graphic__zgpFm\"><source media=\"screen and (max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"\/images\/EmailSignUp\/daily-mob.svg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/images\/EmailSignUp\/daily-dt.svg\"\/><\/picture>\n<div class=\"EmailSignUp_form__C8FWb\">\n<p>Daily Newsletter<\/p>\n<p>Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter<\/p>\n<p>Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG\u2019s experts<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a id=\"known-entities\" class=\"jsx-2362441780 anchor\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"jsx-2362441780\">Known entities<\/h2>\n<p>Of course, like most people, I travel for various reasons, many of which are not vacation. For every property I visit that imbues its menu with a sense of place, there&#8217;s a seriously unglamorous one with food I have absolutely no desire to sample \u2014 especially if it&#8217;s a run-of-the-mill buffet.<\/p>\n<p>I believe these hotels are where the food-and-beverage credit shines.<\/p>\n<p>Many of them feature a grab-and-go marketplace where you can spend your credit on prepackaged meals, snacks or drinks. In addition to being so much more convenient (ever tried to save something from a breakfast buffet for later by wrapping it in napkins, only to get it all over your stuff and ultimately dump it in the trash in frustration?), these outlets often include familiar brand names or even items from local merchants. This can be much more appealing than an overpriced buffet with precooked dishes that have been under heat lamps for hours.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/news\/hilton-fb-credit\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Know your benefits: Hiltons can&#8217;t opt out of the food-and-beverage credit for elite members<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"flexible-schedule\" class=\"jsx-2362441780 anchor\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"jsx-2362441780\">Flexible schedule<\/h2>\n<p>With hotels only offering breakfast during set morning hours, the food-and-beverage credit&#8217;s flexibility makes it a lot more usable. I often leave a hotel early to catch a flight or set off on a long day of driving for a road trip, completely missing breakfast hours. Other times, I&#8217;m working remotely and my schedule doesn&#8217;t allow me to pop down to the hotel restaurant in the morning. And when traveling from the West Coast to the East Coast, jet lag can also influence how early I&#8217;m ready to mobilize.<\/p>\n<p>But thanks to the credits, I can still use my elite benefits in a way that works for my schedule.<\/p>\n<p>For example, last summer, I arrived at the Hilton London Heathrow Airport at 2 a.m. after a series of mishaps that resulted in a truly heinous travel evening. With an early flight requiring a 5 a.m. departure, I was more than happy to use the food-and-beverage credit for middle-of-the-night emotional support french fries instead of airport hotel breakfast.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"bottom-line\" class=\"jsx-2362441780 anchor\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"jsx-2362441780\">Bottom line<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/loyalty-programs\/award-travelers-guide-hilton-honors\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hilton Honors<\/a>&#8216; food-and-beverage credits are convenient, flexible and easy to use, making them a great perk of <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/loyalty-programs\/what-is-hilton-elite-status-worth\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the hotel chain&#8217;s elite status<\/a>. Whether you&#8217;re committed to breakfast, love a lobby bar moment or want to stock up on snacks for later, the credit covers options to suit your needs.<\/p>\n<p>In my opinion, the breakfast changes have made Hilton Gold and Diamond status even more valuable, especially since they&#8217;re attainable on multiple cards. Cardholders of the <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/apply-now\/hilton-honors-american-express-surpass-card\/?pid=220312354&amp;tid=post\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hilton Surpass Card<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/apply-now\/hilton-honors-american-express-business-card\/?pid=220312352&amp;tid=post\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hilton Honors American Express Business Card<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/apply-now\/the-platinum-card-from-american-express\/?pid=22504813&amp;tid=post\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Platinum Card\u00ae from American Express<\/a> (enrollment is required) enjoy complimentary Gold status as long as the card remains open. Meanwhile, you receive automatic Diamond status through the <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/apply-now\/hilton-honors-american-express-aspire-card\/?tid=post\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card<\/a>. <em>The information for the Hilton Honors Aspire has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/news\/love-hilton-breakfast-benefit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I don&#8217;t really like breakfast all that much, and, typically, if I&#8217;m eating it while traveling, it&#8217;s because I have an opportunity to eat a local specialty, like a bagel in New York or pain au chocolat in Paris. So, perhaps unsurprisingly, when Hilton first eliminated complimentary continental breakfast for Gold and Diamond elite members [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":155706,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-155705","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-travel"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155705\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}