Originally Posted by ssullivan

It's roughly similar. Marriott is now doing the redeem four, get a fifth night free thing as well. The number of points required for a free night in a similar hotel is considerably more than SPG, but you also earn at a much higher rate. As a Marriott Platinum I earn 15 points per dollar at Marriott, versus SPG Platinum's 3 points per dollar. From what I can tell, it's all relative.

I am considering doing some hotel hopping during non-bonus periods, since Marriott only allows status qualification based on nights, and SPG allows it on stays. On four night Baton Rouge trips, I could easily do a night at the Sheraton, then two at the Marriott, then one at the Sheraton. That would still help me with the nights I need for Marriott to requalify, and get me two SPG stays in the same trip. If SPG runs another bonus where stays count double, like I had last summer with them, then it becomes four SPG stay credits in one trip.

Do you know how generous SPG is with comping status? I'm Marriott Platinum and Hilton Diamond right now, and it would be nice to get SPG Platinum up front, without having to do the 25 stays to get there (I'd still work in the 25 stays this year to keep the status).