Hilton will not offer free breakfast for elite members until 2023 at the earliest — here’s what you’ll get instead as compensation

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• Hilton Honors used to offer free breakfast for all members with Gold and Diamond elite status.
• In 2021, it temporarily replaced the free breakfast benefit at US hotels with a food and beverage credit.
• Hilton will continue to issue credits instead of free breakfast through 2022 — with some improvements.
• Read Insider’s guide to the best Hilton credit cards.

One of Hilton’s most lauded and customer-friendly policies has been its free breakfast benefit for all members with Hilton Gold or Diamond elite status. This is a valuable benefit for two reasons:

1. Breakfast can be very expensive if you’re staying at a luxury resort like a Waldorf Astoria or Conrad brand
2. Elite status is easy to earn simply by holding specific Hilton credit cards like the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

However, Hilton temporarily ended free breakfast at US properties in July of 2021 under the auspices of coronavirus measures, replacing it with vouchers of differing value depending on the hotel brand. This was meant to end before 2022. But now Hilton is postponing its return to free breakfast — and making some vouchers a bit more valuable.

Hilton food and beverage credit to replace free breakfast through 2022

Depending on where you stay, you may prefer Hilton’s food and beverage credits over free breakfast. After all, free breakfast doesn’t always mean you can have anything on the menu. Many hotels offer a continental breakfast or buffet with the option to upgrade to menu items.

Hilton’s food and beverage credits can be used for any food at the hotel, including the proper menu. You don’t even have to use them for breakfast.

These vouchers offer more flexibility, but you may find yourself paying more than before:

• Breakfast at high-end hotels can cost significantly more than the value of these credits
• You’re issued a maximum of two credits per room per day (whereas “free breakfast” is often given to the entire room)

Vouchers increase in value at 7 Hilton brands

Food and beverage credits are worth between $10 and $25 per day, depending on the hotel brand with which you’re staying. You’ll receive twice that value for double occupancy, and the credits don’t roll over from one night to the next — so use them or lose them.

Beginning February 1, 2022, Hilton food and beverage credits will be worth more in select markets when you stay with the following seven brands:

• Hilton
• Tapestry
• Signia
• DoubleTree
• Canopy
• Curio
• Motto

Select markets are:

• Boston
• Chicago
• District of Columbia
• New York City
• San Francisco
• Key Largo
• Key West
• Los Angeles
• Hawaii

Below are the credit values for each hotel brand:

Which credit cards offer free breakfast/food and beverage credits via Hilton elite status?

If you have a Hilton credit card that charges an annual fee, you’ve already got Hilton elite status. But did you know that there are a couple of non-Hilton Amex cards that also grant you status lofty enough to qualify for free breakfast?

Read more: 11 credit cards that get you hotel elite status just by having them in your wallet

Below are all the cards that net you either free breakfast or food and beverage credits with Hilton:

Card with Hilton status	Elite status	Annual fee	Welcome bonus	Review
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card	Gold	Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card – Rates & Fees	Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card	Amex Hilton Surpass review
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card	Diamond	Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card – Rates & Fees	Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card	Amex Hilton Aspire review
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card	Gold	The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card – Rates and Fees	The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card	Amex Hilton Business review
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Gold**	The Platinum Card® from American Express The Platinum Card® from American Express – Rates & Fees	The Platinum Card® from American Express	American Express Platinum Card review
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express	Gold**	The Business Platinum Card® from American Express The Business Platinum Card® from American Express – Rates & Fees	The Business Platinum Card® from American Express	Amex Business Platinum Card review

Bottom line

There are plenty of hotel credit cards that offer hotel elite status as a benefit to cardholders.

But only Hilton partners with credit cards that automatically provide a level of status high enough to include free breakfast at all hotels.

Currently, however, free breakfast is on hold for US hotels and resorts. You’ll instead receive a food and beverage credit between $10 and $25 per person (maximum two per room) depending on which hotel brand you’ve booked.

Again, if you’re traveling overseas, you will still receive free breakfast as usual — which can save you a small fortune if you’re heading to an expensive location like Bora Bora or Seychelles.