Starwood Preferred Guest - Starwood on the Road (Houston - Phila)

I'm in the process of moving from Houston to the Philadelphia area. In early March, I'll be hitting the road with my 2 dogs. I'm planning on taking a leisurely 4-5 days.

My route options include either (i) I-10 Gulf Coast route via New Orleans, Mobile, Atlanta, N. Carolina, DC, and on up to Philadelphia or (ii) Houston to Little Rock, and I-40 across Tennessee, Asheville, etc.. and then north to Phila.

Any advice on route so as to hit superior Starwood hotels along the way. I am SPG iPlat f that might help me score a decent room somewhere

Or if there are non-SPG properties that anyone would recommend along these routes - I'd appreciate any advice there as well.

Price range not really an issue unless its truly over-the-top

Many thanks!

Welcome to the Northeast! My hubby and I moved to Boston from Houston last year in March. The folks up this way will probably take a little getting used to. They are far from the friendliest though Philly may be far enough south that it will be better then Boston where both the weather and the people can be chilly!

That being said, we took the following route on our two drives up (first in my car, then in his): Houston - New Orleans - Chattanooga - Harrisburg - Boston. In other words: 10 - 59 - 75 - 81 - 84. 81 will take you through Harrisburg, PA. Once in Harrisburg, you can pick up 76 for the less than 2 hour dash into Philly (an easy drive which I did just yesterday as I was in Harrisburg on business and flew from Boston into Philly). So you will probably only need a hotel stay in New Orleans and Chattanooga. We stayed in the W French Quarter and the Sheraton Chattanooga Road House. We found both to be quite nice and got nice upgrades as plats.

BTW, on the leg between Chattanooga and Harrisburg, we took a detour and drove along the Skyline Drive in VA. I had been before in the summer when it is very crowded. In the winter, it was more lovely. Basically just us and lots of deer with long views.

Enjoy your drive.

We stayed in the W French Quarter and the Sheraton Chattanooga Road House. We found both to be quite nice and got nice upgrades as plats.

If you do go via MSY, I would suggest the W New Orleans on Poydras. Whilst I enjoy the W FQ, upgrades there are pretty slim (there's only two carriage house rooms with outdoor jacuzzis). At the W NO, you're virtually guaranteed a corner suite with separate living room and 1.5 baths, high floor with great view of the river or NO Skyline (or both). You can easily walk to the FQ from there. The service at the W NO is phenomenal as well. Front desk staff always upgraded me to corner suites without asking (as well as on my last two stays there as a Gold!).

I also found the general quality of the rooms at the W NO to be higher than that at the W FQ. You won't find a 48 inch plasma TV anywhere in the W FQ., much less two in the same room

Welcome to the Northeast! My hubby and I moved to Boston from Houston last year in March. The folks up this way will probably take a little getting used to. They are far from the friendliest though Philly may be far enough south that it will be better then Boston where both the weather and the people can be chilly!

I agree with the weather part but not necessarily the people. I moved to BOS 30 years ago from NYC and the people I met here are friendly and helpful. But then again I came from NYC;)

Wanted to offer an early welcome to PHL!

Many thanks on the welcome to Phila - I will miss the friendliness of Texas

Also look forward to a couple of the hotel recos