I'm only about 5 percent or so of "real" upgrades as a Platinum where the room is materially different from that which I booked. On the other hand, I always get lounge access and almost always get upgraded to the C floor with improved amenities.

Some hotels give "real" upgrades, breakfast coupons on the weekend when the lounge is closed, and have good amenities in the C lounge at night. I try hard to reward those hotels with additional stays and encourage others to stay there.

Over the year, Gold and Plat offer nice advantages. There will always be hotels which fall below the bar. In some cases, even the same hotel will exceed the bar on one stay and fail to meet the bar on a different stay. All in all though, I'm treated fairly well.