Hyatt’s Globalist Breakfast Benefit Explained

Hyatt’s Globalist Breakfast Benefit Explained

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There are pros and cons to each major hotel loyalty program, especially when it comes to elite perks. Personally World of Hyatt Globalist status is my favorite hotel loyalty status that I have, and that goes beyond Hyatt having the best suite upgrade policy for Globalist members.

World of Hyatt arguably has the most generous elite breakfast benefit of any major hotel loyalty program, and in this post I wanted to take a closer look at how that benefit works.

The basics of Hyatt Globalist breakfast perks

World of Hyatt Globalist members receive complimentary breakfast with almost all stays. If a hotel has a club lounge, then Globalist members receive breakfast in the lounge. The quality of that will vary based on where in the world you are. When a Hyatt property doesn’t have a club lounge (or the club lounge is closed), Globalist members receive daily complimentary full breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant.

As you’d expect, there are some terms to be aware of when it comes to the Hyatt Globalist breakfast benefit:

  • Guests receive full breakfast, which is defined as one entree or standard breakfast buffet, plus juice and coffee
  • Taxes and service charges are included with breakfast
  • The breakfast benefit is available for each registered guest in a room, up to a maximum of two adults and two children; each individual hotel can determine the age cutoff for a child

There are a few exclusions for this benefit, which shouldn’t be a big deal for most:

  • At Caption by Hyatt (a new brand), breakfast includes one “elevated” coffee and one “small plate” option per registered guest
  • The breakfast benefit doesn’t apply at Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, or Miraval, because breakfast is generally included at these brands; if you’re staying at a Hyatt Place or Hyatt House that doesn’t include breakfast for all guests, then Globalist members still receive full complimentary breakfast, as at other brands
  • The breakfast benefit doesn’t apply at vacation ownership properties, since these often don’t have restaurants; this excludes select Destination by Hyatt Residences properties, which do offer breakfast to Globalists, including The Lodge at Spruce Peak, Resort at Squaw Creek, Wild Dunes Resort – Sweetgrass Inn and Boardwalk Inn, Wild Dunes Resort Vacation Rentals, and Wild Dunes Resorts – Residences at Sweetgrass Inn
Hyatt Globalist members receive complimentary breakfast

My experience with Hyatt Globalist breakfast

For some context, let’s just briefly compare Hyatt’s elite breakfast policies to those of competitors:

  • Hilton Honors Gold and Hilton Honors Diamond members simply receive a food & beverage credit in the United States, which generally won’t cover a proper breakfast; outside the United States, Hilton promises a continental breakfast when there’s not a club lounge, though some hotels go above and beyond and offer a full hot breakfast
  • Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite members have a breakfast benefit, but it has all kinds of exclusions — not all brands are included (like EDITION and Ritz-Carlton), and technically it’s only for continental breakfast
  • IHG One Rewards Diamond is perhaps most competitive to Hyatt nowadays, as members receive one main course or a buffet, plus non-alcoholic drinks; the catch is that there are more exclusions here than with Hyatt, and this benefit is still early in its implementation

In my opinion the Hyatt Globalist breakfast benefit is the only elite breakfast perk where I don’t feel like I have to make a compromise with what I want to eat, yet everything is still covered. With Marriott I often end up paying an uncharge for breakfast, and with Hilton the credit in the United States isn’t enough to cover a real breakfast.

Meanwhile with Hyatt I almost always have a great breakfast, and it doesn’t cost me a dime. Even at your typical airport hotel, like the Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport, you can order whatever you’d like off the menu, and it’ll be taken off.

Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport Globalist breakfast

Meanwhile some luxury properties, like the Park Hyatt Paris, go above and beyond, and even offer room service breakfast as part of the Globalist benefit.

Park Hyatt Paris room service Globalist breakfast

I typically just order whatever I’d like off the menu, enjoy, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a substantial charge left at check-out. I think back very fondly on the amazing breakfasts I had at the Thompson Dallas, for example.

Thompson Dallas breakfast
Thompson Dallas breakfast

It’s also nice that gratuity is fully included. Some hotels, like the Andaz Maui, will include an 18% gratuity, and not even give you the option to tip further. Meanwhile other properties let you fill in the tip, but typically remove most or all of it at check-out.

The Andaz Maui includes gratuity on the check

Hyatt Globalist breakfast FAQs

With the basics out of the way, let me answer some FAQs when it comes to the Hyatt Globalist breakfast benefit (and if there any questions I didn’t address, let me know in the comments and I can add them).

Can Globalists order room service breakfast?

Officially the Globalist breakfast benefit is in the hotel’s restaurant. A small percentage of hotels will allow room service breakfast, but that’s the exception rather than the norm.

Should you tell the restaurant you’re a Globalist?

At check-in, Globalist members should generally be informed of what the Globalist breakfast benefit includes. It’s a good practice to let the restaurant server know you’re a Globalist, in case they have a certain system for that. For example, some restaurants will automatically add tip for Globalist breakfasts, rather than having you write down an amount.

Though typically if a hotel doesn’t tell you what the benefit is at check-in, I tend to think it’s safe to assume that you can just order what you’d like (within reason) and it’ll be taken off.

Do Globalist members have to sign for breakfast?

It depends on the hotel. At some hotels there’s no need to sign, while at other hotels you’ll have to sign the bill as usual, and then it’ll be taken off at check-out.

How does tipping work for Globalist breakfast?

Tips are included with Globalist breakfast, so hotels generally take one of two approaches:

  • Some hotels automatically add a gratuity for Globalist breakfast, and don’t have you add anything extra
  • Some hotels let you sign the check as you usually would if paying, including adding gratuity, and then it’ll be taken off after the fact

More often than not I find that whatever I tip is taken off. In some situations there may be a tip overage of a couple of bucks (for example, maybe the hotel automatically takes off 20%, but I tipped a bit more).

Can Globalists order specialty coffee with breakfast?

Officially the benefit is that Globalist members receive “coffee,” though it’s not defined beyond that. I’ve found that ordering cold brew, cappuccino, etc., is usually taken off as well, unless you’re expressly told it isn’t.

Are there limits to what Globalists can order for breakfast?

For non-buffet breakfasts, technically the breakfast benefit is for one entree per person. In my experience that’s not all that closely enforced, though it does vary by property. For example, if I’m with Ford, we might order two entrees and then share a fruit plate and/or yogurt, and that’s almost always taken off as well. Some hotels have policies that are expressly more generous than what Hyatt requires.

Can you stack Hyatt breakfast benefits?

If you book a rate that includes breakfast, or book through Hyatt Privé, can you essentially get double the breakfast benefit? The answer is no — breakfast benefits don’t stack (not that most would probably want to have two breakfasts).

Do Hyatt Explorist members get free breakfast?

World of Hyatt Explorist is Hyatt’s mid-tier status. This doesn’t offer complimentary breakfast as a perk. However, as part of the Milestone Rewards program, you can select club access awards, which offer club access for your stay. This would only get you breakfast in the lounge, though, and not in the restaurant.

Hyatt’s Globalist breakfast benefit is great

Bottom line

World of Hyatt has an excellent breakfast benefit for Globalist members, which I’d argue is significantly better than what most of the competition offers. When Globalist members don’t receive club lounge access, they receive a free full restaurant breakfast, which includes a hot dish, coffee, juice, taxes, and gratuity.

To fellow Hyatt Globalist members, what has your experience been with Hyatt’s breakfast benefit?

Conversations (19)
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  1. CJH Guest

    The Thompson Dallas offers a $35 per registered guest breakfast benefit. When I checked out I found that my wife’s breakfast was not covered since I had not included her as a “registered guest”. The hotel did give me a $35 credit after I called.

  2. DCS Diamond

    There are the usual demonstrably bogus and self-serving claims of superiority:

    World of Hyatt arguably has the most generous elite breakfast benefit of any major hotel loyalty program.

    Then the hard factual reality of personal experience intrudes:

    Just checked out of Hyatt Regency Yokohama in Japan. As you said, they only offer breakfast in the lounge and have to pay an extra 2200+ yen if you want to go to the restaurant for breakfast. The...

    There are the usual demonstrably bogus and self-serving claims of superiority:

    World of Hyatt arguably has the most generous elite breakfast benefit of any major hotel loyalty program.

    Then the hard factual reality of personal experience intrudes:

    Just checked out of Hyatt Regency Yokohama in Japan. As you said, they only offer breakfast in the lounge and have to pay an extra 2200+ yen if you want to go to the restaurant for breakfast. The lounge breakfast is disappointing and crowded. Marriott hotels usually offer the choice to go to the restaurant even if there is breakfast in the lounge.

    -- Zac

    I do not know about anyone else but I know what I'd rather the information that I am given be...

  3. Kevin Guest

    Is there a compromise should the hotel not offer breakfast for Globalists? Stayed at the Hyatt Centric Memphis and the front desk lady said that they do not offer Globalist breakfast. I reached out to my Concierge and they reached out to the hotel only to tell me that the front desk was incorrect and all I got was an apology. I feel like this may be where Marriott shines as there outlines some points...

    Is there a compromise should the hotel not offer breakfast for Globalists? Stayed at the Hyatt Centric Memphis and the front desk lady said that they do not offer Globalist breakfast. I reached out to my Concierge and they reached out to the hotel only to tell me that the front desk was incorrect and all I got was an apology. I feel like this may be where Marriott shines as there outlines some points whereby a hotel fails to deliver some benefit that the customer gets a return compromise.

  4. Zac Guest

    Just checked out of Hyatt Regency Yokohama in Japan. As you said, they only offer breakfast in the lounge and have to pay an extra 2200+ yen if you want to go to the restaurant for breakfast. The lounge breakfast is disappointing and crowded. Marriott hotels usually offer the choice to go to the restaurant even if there is breakfast in the lounge.

  5. Greg Guest

    I have been a long time Globalist but lost it in 2022 when Hyatt increased requalifications from 55 to 60 nights.

    The breakfast benefit or guaranteed lounge access is great and was the #1 reason for keeping the status. But with the new Covid Hotels Revenge travel, we had our first breakfast hiccup.

    One thing to point out that I didn’t see is children must be 12 or under to get a free...

    I have been a long time Globalist but lost it in 2022 when Hyatt increased requalifications from 55 to 60 nights.

    The breakfast benefit or guaranteed lounge access is great and was the #1 reason for keeping the status. But with the new Covid Hotels Revenge travel, we had our first breakfast hiccup.

    One thing to point out that I didn’t see is children must be 12 or under to get a free breakfast. Now most Hyatt's allow teens to get free breakfast too but some do not. Was charged for my kids at Andaz Maui $60 each which was a rip off as they are not big eaters. But most hotels don't charge even though those are the rules.

  6. DCS Diamond

    The belief in World of Hyatt's "supremacy" as a loyalty program must be getting soft and wobbly among the kool-aid drinkers because this post - like the one yesterday over at VFTW titled "10 Ways To Make World Of Hyatt Better" -- is clearly intended to double as a pep talk. Well, it is fine to do pep talks, but I am sure that they can be done without mischaracterizing other programs' benefits ! There...

    The belief in World of Hyatt's "supremacy" as a loyalty program must be getting soft and wobbly among the kool-aid drinkers because this post - like the one yesterday over at VFTW titled "10 Ways To Make World Of Hyatt Better" -- is clearly intended to double as a pep talk. Well, it is fine to do pep talks, but I am sure that they can be done without mischaracterizing other programs' benefits ! There are those that believe that so-called 'confirmed' suite upgrades are the greatest, but I believe that Hilton's new global automated upgrades are the way to do upgrades, especially as a LT Diamond, because they take individual properties out of the equation. So, it's YMMV, why not leave it at that !

    Below is a different perspective on other programs' breakfast benefits to consider, especially when preparing future posts to "explain" those benefits...

    Hilton Honors Gold and Hilton Honors Diamond members simply receive a food & beverage credit in the United States, which generally won’t cover a proper breakfast; outside the United States, Hilton promises a continental breakfast when there’s not a club lounge, though some hotels go above and beyond and offer a full hot breakfast.
    ...
    IHG One Rewards Diamond is perhaps most competitive to Hyatt nowadays, as members receive one main course or a buffet, plus non-alcoholic drinks; the catch is that there are more exclusions here than with Hyatt, and this benefit is still early in its implementation.

    Maybe the post simply did not get updated before being recycled, as I seem to recall that there was a lively "debate" that culminated in the quoted claims being thoroughly debunked.

    IHG offers free full restaurant breakfast exclusively. Period. How is Hyatt's restaurant-or-lounge breakfast better than that? The claim that IHG's breakfast benefit has "more exclusions" is self-serving and weak because the actual delivery of the benefit depends on individual hotels, so that only those who actively patronize a program can speak to it credibly.

    "Hilton promises a continental breakfast when there’s not a club lounge": that is simply not the case at all. It's a willful distortion because Hilton hotels overseas offer free full restaurant breakfast that is nothing short of a "royal feast" even at properties (flagship Hiltons, Conrads, DoubleTrees) that also offer breakfast in the exec lounge. A HH Diamond or a Gold upgraded to the exec floor has the option to have free full breakfast in the restaurant or free continental breakfast in the exec lounge. WoH Globalists do not have that option. It is one or the other. How is that "more generous"? The host is fully aware of what I just stated because he has stayed at Hilton hotels overseas as an 'Aspire Diamond'. His continued mischaracterization of the reality is willful and, thus, lays bare the weakness of and bias in his claims.

    Lastly, it was claimed, based on some "fuzzy" math, that only 20% of Hilton properties around the world offer free full restaurant breakfast while the rest, located, in the US offer F&B vouchers, except that 20% of Hilton hotels happens to be more hotels than all Hyatt hotels around the world combined. Moreover, because (a) the majority of Hilton hotels in the US are Embassy Suites, Hampton Inns, Home/Home2/Homewood Suites, etc, that offer free breakfast to all guests, (b) continental breakfast has returned at hotels in the US with an exec lounge, and (c) most coveted redemption spots are overseas (my only destination for redemptions), that leaves just a small fraction of properties in the US that offers F&B vouchers instead of continental breakfast -- an offering that was never anything to write home about or get up for in the first place (I prefer the F&B vouchers!).

    What is certain is that bogus claims will not suddenly become true through sheer repetition any more than the repeated claim that a WoH point was "worth" more than any other hotel points currency made it so...

    Time to give it a rest by simply explaining the various loyalty benefits without the constant claims of WoH's "supremacy" !

    1. UA-NYC Diamond

      No one cares about Hilton. Especially since all top tier benefits are free w the Aspire.

      Take your propaganda back to your blog with its ones of readers.

    2. fod Member

      Too long, didn’t read.

      Try one or two succinct points with a strong rationale.

    3. DCS Diamond

      Well, fortunately for you the comment was not meant lazy minds...

  7. Tigris23 Guest

    Wow, good to know technically there's much more restrictions on the perk than what I've experienced this past year. I attained Globalist for 1st time in 2021 due to the eased criteria during the pandemic so I didn't know what to expect, but in our trip to Istanbel, Malaysia & Bali last year, our breakfast experience was very generous. We were allowed to order anything on menu (food & specialty coffee) and were not charged....

    Wow, good to know technically there's much more restrictions on the perk than what I've experienced this past year. I attained Globalist for 1st time in 2021 due to the eased criteria during the pandemic so I didn't know what to expect, but in our trip to Istanbel, Malaysia & Bali last year, our breakfast experience was very generous. We were allowed to order anything on menu (food & specialty coffee) and were not charged. Even better in Bali (Alila Ubud & Alila Uluwatu) where we had our in-laws with us and we ordered so much for breakfast and nothing was charged either. Though we did tipped in Bali pretty generously too.

  8. JamesW Guest

    I love how Gary Leff SHREDS any hotel that denies him his expected free breakfast.

    Total diva behavior, but I suppose it's done in service of his dear readers.

  9. Tony Guest

    Ben, curious to know, have you covered the Bilt Hyatt offer that's essentially a shortcut to Globalist? I haven't seen an article covering it. If you did, sorry I must have missed it.

  10. Dustin Guest

    Some UrCove brand hotels in China do not offer breakfast benefit to globalists (not sure if this applies to all UrCove hotels)

  11. David Diamond

    DCS is slacking off. He's not enlightening us on the superiority of the Hilton breakfast benefit.

    1. DCS Diamond

      @ David: You actually got that backwards. Either you cannot read and comprehend the English language or you missed the memos proclaiming World of Hyatt's absolute "supremacy" as a hotel loyalty program in everything, including "the best suite upgrade policy for Globalist members" and, of course, the flavor du jour:

      World of Hyatt arguably has the most generous elite breakfast benefit of any major hotel loyalty program.

      What I do, as one of few who...

      @ David: You actually got that backwards. Either you cannot read and comprehend the English language or you missed the memos proclaiming World of Hyatt's absolute "supremacy" as a hotel loyalty program in everything, including "the best suite upgrade policy for Globalist members" and, of course, the flavor du jour:

      World of Hyatt arguably has the most generous elite breakfast benefit of any major hotel loyalty program.

      What I do, as one of few who have not drunk self-anointed "travel gurus'" Hyatt is best kool-aid, is to counter the deluge of superlatives with a different, reality-based perspective.

      I was going to let this one slide, but considering that I have been on a roll educating the masses on various topics, I may just be back here, not to "enlightening on the superiority of the Hilton breakfast benefit", but to provide a different, fact-based and "balancing" perspective. ;-)

    2. InternationalTraveler Gold

      Since thus seems to be the second post in a series of “included breakfast” articles, I am looking forward to the ones covering Hilton and IHG Diamond.

      Hilton overseas in generally on a different level than the US and here in the US I really got to like the Intercontinental Diamond Elite breakfast benefits.

  12. TheRubioRoom Member

    Enjoyed the Globalist breakfast benefit via room service without any upcharge at both the Chicago Athletic Association and Grand Hyatt Berlin -- spouse and I ordered a side dish or two some of those mornings in addition to our entrees and coffees and the whole thing was always comped. Truly the most valuable hotel status perk of all.

  13. Gary Leff Guest

    "plus juice and coffee"

    in fact it's juice plus coffee or tea, worth noting since there are some who do prefer that.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

David Diamond

DCS is slacking off. He's not enlightening us on the superiority of the Hilton breakfast benefit.

1
CJH Guest

The Thompson Dallas offers a $35 per registered guest breakfast benefit. When I checked out I found that my wife’s breakfast was not covered since I had not included her as a “registered guest”. The hotel did give me a $35 credit after I called.

0
DCS Diamond

There are the usual demonstrably bogus and self-serving claims of superiority: <blockquote>World of Hyatt arguably has <b>the most generous</b> elite breakfast benefit of any major hotel loyalty program.</blockquote> Then the hard factual reality of personal experience intrudes: <blockquote>Just checked out of Hyatt Regency Yokohama in Japan. As you said, they only offer breakfast in the lounge and <b>have to pay an extra 2200+ yen if you want to go to the restaurant for breakfast</b>. The lounge breakfast is disappointing and crowded. Marriott hotels usually offer the choice to go to the restaurant even if there is breakfast in the lounge. -- Zac </blockquote> I do not know about anyone else but I know what I'd rather the <b>information</b> that I am given be...

0
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