New Breakfast enhancement

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kpc said:
We did exactly that quinella a couple of years ago but found Quay overrated. ..consider Sepia in Sussex St:)
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OT.....
How was the Park Hyatt? Do you hold Hyatt status? Worth the premium rates?
 
boomy said:
But yes, I'm sure Hyatt is a safe bet. Just need to score a table at Quay for the perfect stay :)
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We did this last year ... post the massive renovation they undertook - excellent rooms/hotel. It was a birthday surprise for SWMBO - JASA (BNE-SYD-BNE), 2 nights at PH SYD (30,000 points per night) lunch at Quay (best meal we've had in OZ) plus dinner at Rockpool (very disappointing).

I'm slowly building my PH point balance so we can do it all again later this year ... minus Rockpool!
 
Checked in to Hilton Sydney this afternoon. Handed a letter explaining Diamond benefits, which stated a continental breakfast in the lounge.
I asked what Gold members received and was told that if they were not given Exec lounge access they had breakfast in Glass, BUT only Continental.

Was also told that Diamond members could have Continental in Glass !!!!! But not full breakfast.

When we went to lounge also asked , and was told that the new policy was to bring hotel in line with other Hiltons world wide. Queried that we had been told we could have continental in Glass, reply was that if that was what you were told, that is what you can have !!!????

The mind boggles at how they are going to police this policy in Glass.

On on another note, happy to report that Baileys has made a come back in the Exec Lounge !! At least I can enjoy this while Mr jojen has a glass of port !!

jojen
 
jojen said:
I asked what Gold members received and was told that if they were not given Exec lounge access they had breakfast in Glass, BUT only Continental.

Was also told that Diamond members could have Continental in Glass !!!!! But not full breakfast
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Not just how they police it, but that reply also scotches thoughts about the move being to reduce the Glass breakfast queue.
 
I do find this whole thing very perplexing in contrast to the loyalty I obtain from an airline. For whatever people complain about Qantas, it strikes me that I can access a FF club lounge, get barista coffee anytime made to order and something hot to eat (sure even if it is a toasted sandwich), if I fly business class or have platinum + and go via international, the airline at the elite builds a fully equipped kitchen at the airport at a number of locations around the world to serve you fine dining breakfast/lunch or dinner all for free. Yet you stay at hotel which has this as standard, you dump 12,000+ USD a year into the chain, a good bulk of it in Australia (so add the exchange rate factor), yet as a Diamond the chain can't even afford to provide me a) a lousy coffee now or b) at least something hot in continental. Seriously, it does not make sense to me. The money I drive into the chain, far better now to pile 40k$ in to the Mac card to get Diamond (For what its really worth now I question). What precisely is the hilton providing to me in value for spending exclusively 12,000 USD with it? I know they have zero chance for me wasting $68 on breakfast for 2 in morning ($29 x2 plus 2x$5) all because I decided for a change to have a 10¢ Hashbrown and strip of bacon and a baked tomato. Get real. They have got to mad in thinking this is value for money. Good luck to those who do. Entitlements, yes but I call it service. What does the hotel prefer?
 
Darwin Hilton(old Crowne Plaza) .. Diamonds still get full breakfast in the restaurant (and free coffee!!). Notice in lounge that hot/full breakfast downstairs $10 charge. Front desk/managers/lounge staff all very definite/keen to let us know that it was free for diamonds.. really good experience overall. Lounge staff were excellent - stubby/glass never actually got empty. the selection of dumplings and other canapés were very good. not sure about lounge breakfast as we ate downstairs every morning...coffee was really good too. Cairns next weekend - will be interesting to see what happens there
 
drdpr said:
I do find this whole thing very perplexing in contrast to the loyalty I obtain from an airline. For whatever people complain about Qantas, it strikes me that I can access a FF club lounge, get barista coffee anytime made to order and something hot to eat (sure even if it is a toasted sandwich), if I fly business class or have platinum + and go via international, the airline at the elite builds a fully equipped kitchen at the airport at a number of locations around the world to serve you fine dining breakfast/lunch or dinner all for free. Yet you stay at hotel which has this as standard, you dump 12,000+ USD a year into the chain, a good bulk of it in Australia (so add the exchange rate factor), yet as a Diamond the chain can't even afford to provide me a) a lousy coffee now or b) at least something hot in continental. Seriously, it does not make sense to me. The money I drive into the chain, far better now to pile 40k$ in to the Mac card to get Diamond (For what its really worth now I question). What precisely is the hilton providing to me in value for spending exclusively 12,000 USD with it? I know they have zero chance for me wasting $68 on breakfast for 2 in morning ($29 x2 plus 2x$5) all because I decided for a change to have a 10¢ Hashbrown and strip of bacon and a baked tomato. Get real. They have got to mad in thinking this is value for money. Good luck to those who do. Entitlements, yes but I call it service. What does the hotel prefer?
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Couldn't have put it better !!
#nailed it :D
 
I'm about to wander down for breakie at CNS right now. What do I do? Take a photo of the luke warm coffee machine coffee? :mrgreen:
 
drross said:
Cairns next weekend - will be interesting to see what happens there
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Just had the diamond complementary breakfast in the restaurant (full breakfast). No issues and no mention of any proposed change (still had the room numbers for complementary/included breakfasts on a sheet of paper as usual). Coffee was a tad better this morning, yet still not what I'd call hot, but one benefit I do see with the machine is that they have mugs or take away cups so you can have a coffee with breakfast and then a take-away to take with you to the room or down to the water.
 
If the changes to breakfast for Diamond members in Australia is to bring the hotels in line with world wide it is a fail.

I can can confirm that Hilton Paris Opera and Hilton Antwerp have a choice of breakfast in either the lounge or FULL breakfast in the restaurant.

jojen
 
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Australia's highest-earning Velocity Frequent Flyer credit card: Offer expires: 21 Jan 2025
- Earn 60,000 bonus Velocity Points
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Will be at HSYD and HSW next week. Will report back on any "enhancements" on the other thread.
 
If Hilton Sydney believes it is only bringing itself in-line with other Hiltons, perhaps we should all gather our welcome letters from other Hiltons where it states Diamonds are welcome to have a full breakfast in the hotel's restaurant.
 
swanning_it said:
I think the suggestion is that all elite guests will partake of breakfast in the exec lounge. I doubt that means that all golds will get exec lounge access for canapés though.
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Lounge access for breakfast but no lounge access for canapes sounds totally wrong. What if you decide to stay in lounge all day and evening?

I gave up on Hilton a while ago. Points earning is poor compared to IHG and Accor. Since losing Gold status there is no incentive to book Hilton anymore unless the price of the hotel is similar to other hotels in the area. Such as Bangkok Double Sukhumvit, Kuala Lumpur Doubletree etc.
 
JohnK said:
Points earning is poor compared to IHG and Accor.
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That's an interesting comment. I haven't actually thought about a comparison between Hilton, IHG and Accor by way of point earn/burn. I've always compared with the emphasis being squarely on sundry benefits, with which I believe Hilton still wins.
 
swanning_it said:
That's an interesting comment. I haven't actually thought about a comparison between Hilton, IHG and Accor by way of point earn/burn. I've always compared with the emphasis being squarely on sundry benefits, with which I believe Hilton still wins.
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I've had numerous failures of points to actually post with Accor. So much so that I don't bother anymore. That and the fact that their mobile website makes Hilton's IT look fab.
 
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