Club Carlson - Changing from Mariott to ???

Hi: I am Marriott gold status and my future travels will put me in an area where either Hilton or Radisson properties are more convenient.

Given the choice which chain would be the better to request a status match and which offers better chances at up-grades, lounges etc?

I am posting same question on the Hilton forum.

Thank you in advance.

Hilton Gold gets you breakfast and a possible upgrade to a room with lounge access if you are staying at a full service higher end hotel. With Club Carlson Gold you are not guaranteed either. If breakfast is important I would probably go with Hilton. If however your stays will likely be at either Hampton or Country Inn And Suites it really doesn't matter since breakfast is included with both and upgrades really aren't a big deal.

Hilton.

Hi: I am Marriott gold status and my future travels will put me in an area where either Hilton or Radisson properties are more convenient.

Given the choice which chain would be the better to request a status match and which offers better chances at up-grades, lounges etc?

I am posting same question on the Hilton forum.

Thank you in advance.
First of all, FlyerTalk does not allow cross-posting, so I just saw your post in the Hilton forum, and the thread is already closed there.

Fortunately, you are finding enough people familiar with the Hilton HHonors program here. (I'm not sure you'd that many people familiar with the Club Carlson program over in the Hilton forum.)

Next:

Status match in each program is independent of any other program. So there's no reason you can't try for a status match in both Hilton HHonors and Club Carlson. What's not necessarily predictable is what level each will match you to.

In Hilton HHonors, you want to get to Gold. If you only match to Silver, that's useless, except: Anyone (someone with HHonors Silver or someone with no HHonors status at all) can sign up for the MVP Fast Track To Gold online and with most properties (I think Homewood might be excepted?) you then only need 4 stays (and maybe even just 3?) to get the HHonors Gold. If you get matched to Diamond (which I doubt), that's great, but Diamond only has some slight increased benefits over Gold, Gold already gets you free breakfast and free internet and chances of upgrades worldwide at all brands.

In Club Carlson, you have to get to the very highest level before you get free breakfast (at those properties that don't give it to everyone), and I don't know whether they'd match you to that.

On an ongoing basis: If you can stay at a different hotel every night, you can (re)qualify in both/either HHonors or Club Carlson faster than staying consecutive nights at the same hotel. (Over in Marriott, there is no way to qualify on stays, so it makes no difference to elite status whether you stay consecutive nights at the same hotel or not. But in thse other hotel programs, you can get to elite status in about half the time on stays compared to nights.)