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Free breakfast can be a valuable perk when you're traveling, so it's worth considering when deciding which hotel to book. Luckily, there are ways to get free breakfast at many Hilton properties, especially if you have Hilton Honors elite status. But if you don't, no worries. We'll show you a few other ways to enjoy the “most important meal of the day” for free.
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Get Free Hilton Breakfast via Elite Status
Travelers who hold either Hilton Honors Gold or Diamond status and are headed abroad don't have to worry about paying for breakfast. They'll find free (and often, quite good) continental breakfast when staying at a Hilton property outside the U.S.
However, stateside, Gold and Diamond Hilton Honors members receive a food and beverage credit, which varies by brand and occasionally by location.
In 2021, Hilton Honors replaced the free breakfast perk for Hilton Gold and higher elite members at U.S. hotels with a food and beverage credit. While the Hilton daily food and beverage credit was introduced as a temporary perk, it has now become standard as a MyWay Benefit for Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond members at the following brands for stays within the U.S., with a few exceptions:
$25 Daily Food and Beverage Credit:
- Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
- LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Conrad Hotels & Resorts
- NoMad
$15-$18 Daily Food and Beverage Credit:
- Canopy by Hilton
- Signia by Hilton
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts
- Curio Collection by Hilton
- Graduate Hotels
- Tempo by Hilton
- Tapestry Collection by Hilton
- DoubleTree by Hilton
- Motto by Hilton (except $12 at Motto by Hilton Tulum and €10 Motto by Hilton Rotterdam Blaak)
$10 Daily Food and Beverage Credit:
- Hilton Garden Inn
Free Continental Breakfast for Up to 2 Guests (only Gold and Diamond Members):
- Small Luxury Hotels of the World
Notice that these credits are applied on a per-day basis and do not accrue. So if you skip breakfast one day, you cannot double up on dinner the next day, for example. The credits are only applicable to Gold and Diamond members, and amounts are limited to two people per room — even if there are more guests on the reservation.
The food and beverage credit does not apply at Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton, Spark by Hilton, Autocamp, and LivSmart Studios. These brands, both within and outside the U.S., typically offer a continental breakfast or hot breakfast for all guests.
Looking for an easy way to score Hilton elite status? Cardholders of the following cards get Hilton Gold elite status:
(Terms Apply)
- 12X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio
- 6X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
- 4X bonus points on U.S online retail purchases
- 3X bonus points for all other eligible purchases on your card
(Terms apply)
- 12X Hilton Honors points on eligible purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
- 5X Hilton Honors points on the first $100,000 spent per calendar year on other eligible purchases; 3X thereafter
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Related: Using Hilton Credit Card Spending for Elite Status
Lounge access with Hilton Diamond status
Another way to potentially get free breakfast at Hilton hotels is with lounge access, a benefit of Hilton Diamond status. Lounge access is available at select hotels in the following brands, but do note that there are some property exclusions:
- Conrad Hotels & Resorts
- Curio Collection by Hilton
- DoubleTree by Hilton
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts
- LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Signia by Hilton
- Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Lounge access at the above hotels negates any of the food and beverage credits discussed above, so you'll get one or the other. And unfortunately, it's not guaranteed that lounge access comes with a Hilton free breakfast. Just like your food and beverage credits, access to these lounges is also restricted to the Diamond member and up to one other registered guest on that reservation.
Related: How To Get Hotel Elite Status for Free (or Almost Free)
Stay at Hilton All-Inclusive Properties
While not a ton, Hilton does have a few properties around the world that are all-inclusive. You will find all-inclusive Hilton hotels in Mexico, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, Greece, and Türkiye. While arguably, the rate you're paying has all of your charges baked into it, this is one way not to spend additional money on breakfast whenever you stay at all-inclusive properties.
Currently, there are all-inclusive hotels within the Curio Collection, DoubleTree, and Hilton brands.
Stay at Hilton Brands That Offer Free Breakfast
The following Hilton brands do not offer a food or beverage credit for Hilton Gold elite members and higher, but instead usually provide a complimentary continental or hot breakfast to all guests:
- Embassy Suites
- Hampton Inn
- Homewood Suites
- Home2 Suites
- LivSmart Studios
- Spark by Hilton
- Tru by Hilton
- Autocamp
Related: I Went ‘Glamping’ in an Airstream at AutoCamp Cape Cod — And I Can’t Wait to Go Back
However, even if the hotel is in a brand that normally offers free breakfast, it's worth checking that hotel's website to see if the option is available for that specific location. To find out whether your desired hotel offers free breakfast, simply go to the hotel's website, click on the Hotel Info tab, and see if free breakfast is listed in the dining amenities.
Related: Things We Love About the Hilton Honors Rewards Program
Does Hilton Garden Inn have free breakfast?
You might expect that Hilton Garden Inn offers free breakfast for all guests. But that's simply not the case.
As covered above, Hilton Gold elite members and higher can select a $10 credit through MyWay Benefits for Hilton Garden Inn stays within the U.S. That's the lowest credit amount available for any brand. But outside the U.S., these elite members get a complimentary continental breakfast at Hilton Garden Inn properties if selected instead of points as a MyWay Benefit.
Book a Breakfast-Inclusive Room Rate
Many hotels in the following Hilton brands offer some rates that include breakfast:
- Canopy by Hilton
- Conrad Hotels & Resorts
- Curio Collection by Hilton
- DoubleTree by Hilton
- Hilton Garden Inn
- Hilton Grand Vacation
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts
- LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Tapestry Collection by Hilton
- Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
Related: Award Travelers Guide to the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
To add breakfast to your stay when booking, select the “breakfast included” package or rate. You'll likely pay more to book a rate that includes breakfast, but Hilton Honors members get a discount.
Finally, you may get a complimentary kid's breakfast with each paid adult breakfast at some hotels. If this is of interest to you, confirm whether your hotel offers this benefit and whether your child is young enough to qualify.
Related: How Many Points Can You Earn on Hilton Stays?
Book Your Stay via Select Travel Agencies
With the recent resurgence of travel agencies, you may be able to leverage a booking through a trusted travel advisor to unlock some additional perks, including free breakfast. Some advisors can book “Hilton for Luxury” rates with Hilton at participating properties. Not all hotels offer these perks, but for those that don’t, you can still book through programs like Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, The Edit by Chase, Virtuoso, and even the new Bilt Home Away from Home to obtain extra perks like breakfast included.
When you book through one of these online travel agencies, you’ll typically receive daily breakfast for two and, at many properties, a hotel credit that can be used toward extras like spa services, meals at on-site restaurants, or drinks at the bar.
Our Take
Some Hilton brands offer complimentary breakfasts to all guests. At other brands, Gold and Diamond members can get a food and beverage credit — which might or might not cover the full cost of breakfast — or a complimentary breakfast based on the location and brand of the hotel they choose. Top-tier Diamond members might find free breakfast at the lounge at some properties, depending on the destination.
When searching for a hotel, you can filter by hotels that offer free Hilton breakfast for all guests. If the hotel doesn't offer free breakfast, you may be able to book a rate that includes breakfast. With so many options out there, all you need to do is plan your stay strategically to avoid spending money eating out for breakfast every day while you're traveling.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Rates & Fees), The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Rates & Fees), and American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees)
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