First, I'm a Lifetime Plat with Marriott with somewhere north of 1500+ nights in Marriott hotels. Second, I have much less exposure to Starwood hotels, but I'm getting there.

Selection of Hotels: I will agree that this is definitely a Marriott strength. Starwood is slowing getting more competitive in this area, but they have a long way to go yet.

Upgrades: You are correct in that Marriott states that suite upgrades are not an elite benefit where they are at Starwood hotels. And yes, I have been upgraded to some very nice suites at Marriotts over the years. But in general, that is the exception not the rule. (And even more so in North America.) While I also haven't received very many suites in Starwood hotels, I suspect that has more to do with my staying at hotels that have very limited numbers of them. In general, I would say that if you want suite upgrades, then Starwood will generally give you a better chance.

Lounge Access / Breakfast: If free breakfast is what you are looking for, then Marriott is probably a better choice. If one is a Gold/Plat elite, then you will get free breakfast, M-F, at every Marriott hotel except FS Resorts and CYs. Most Marriott non-FS hotels provide free breakfast 7 days a week to everyone, not just elites.

Priceline Bookings: My understanding of SPG rules is that Priceline type bookings do NOT come with recognition of elite status. I do know that Marriott will recognize your elite status no matter your reservation, but you have to make sure your MR# is in the reservation. I suspect here, just like most everywhere else, YMMV.

Rate Scheme: I don't really see a huge difference here (or at least one that impacts me much.)

Value of Points: I tend to value points on how I use them and how easy it is to use them. I have to admit that Starwood's "if there is a std room available, then you can get it with points" approach better and more straight forward than Marriott's "No Blackout dates, but we still have capacity controls" approach. Plus SPG will allow one to upgrade to a suite using points. Marriott normally doesn't allow this. (MVCI, RI, TPS which tend to be all suites are exceptions.) This makes SPG points worth even more to me. Though I have to admit that I would really like to be able to use them in some of the smaller US markets.

Promotions: I haven't been an SPG member all that long, so I can't really compare the two programs over a long period of time. All I can say is that I really love the current Night after Night promo with 1K bonus per night. The up-coming Free Weekend night promo isn't quite as appealing to me, but that is more because I already have my summer travel plans in place and don't have much free time to use those free weekend nights.


Overall, I would say that I like both programs and think each has its own strong points. But if you stay at FS properties and really want a lounge and free breakfast, then Marriott may be the better choice. If you want easier award redemptions, generally better chances at suite upgrades, more variety, but still high quality, in hotels, then SPG may be a bettter fit.