<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by cynic:
I usually fly Southwest, so I am a Rapid Rewards member. It's a good program, but I always disliked that they didn't partner with the hotel chains I frequented so those stays always seemed wasted.</font>
Can you specify which hotel chains you frequent? Southwest is partnered with HHonors (Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton among others) and Choice (Comfort, Sleep, Quality, etc) among others. And, in fact, at Hampton Inn Southwest is the ONLY airline it makes sense to earn with (since with all other airlines you get only 100 miles, but you still get the same 0.5 credits at Hampton that you get at all other HHonors properties which otherwise give 500 miles per stay).
If you frequent Priority Club (Holiday Inn, Express, Crowne Plaza, etc), then indeed you can't do Southwest, and the airlines you earn fastest with there (on short stays at least) are BA or some other foreign-based ones (only if you earn directly to miles) and AA (only if you earn points first and then transfer only after 67k points = 25k miles or more).