<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by LarryU:
There is something to be said for maintaining a mid or upper tier status in at least two hotel programs, presuming your travel schedule would permit such a dilution of your stays. The geographical distribution of Starwood and Hilton properties is not homogenous, so you would almost certainly encounter some locales with better coverage by one chain or the other. Of course, the perks, amenities and compliance proffered by each of the disparate properties is not homogenous either.</font>
I completely agree. Starwood's coverage of smaller cities is lacking, while with acquisition of Hampton Inn and the rest of Promus family, you can find an HHonors-participating property pretty much anywhere you travel in the US.
In terms of treatment for a top-tier member, I doubt you'll find it at Hiltons as great as it is at most Westins, especially when it comes to suite upgrades. But many (if not most) Hiltons have an executive lounge that you're entitled to use, and those that don't have them, offer free breakfast in their restaurants.
While some people have complained about problems in redeeming HHonors awards, I've never had a problem. Some people also complained about points/miles that don't post properly, my experience was that I've called/e-mailed Starwood to request a missing credit more often than I've had to do it at Hilton.
Both programs have their advantages and disadvantages, and you'll enjoy the best of both worlds if you'll maintain top-tier status at both.
[This message has been edited by Eugene (edited 01-06-2002).]