For all three of the programs you mention I can only think of a couple of times when I have not been upgraded to the 'Club' floor (only very rarely have I received a suite upgrade).

My view is that the benefit of a 'Club' room varies upon location. Ouside the US a Club room normally entitles you to Lounge access which means free snacks and alcholic drinks all day. In the US there is normally a very limited alcholic drink service which you are charged for.

Therefore in the US I feel there is very little benefit to a Club room (I know not everyone will agree, but the free drinks are the benefit I appreciate most).

The other in-room benefits are normally extra ammenities, which do not really do a lot for me - I tend not to use hotel toiletries and if I do I am not bothered which shape bottle they come in and always prepared for the mid-night fire practice I take my own PJ's (well BA supplied actually) so which I slob around in rather than a robe.

The room guarantees are becoming easier to use and I really appreciate that (my experience is that from a slow start Hilton now has the lead on making these happen, with Starwood second and Marriott a poor third).

As for ammenity packs I think these are a joke in the US (a couple of bottles of water a 'powerbar' and maybe some corn nibble things) whereas in Europe you tend to get a half-bottle or bottle of wine.

My most suprising experience in a Club Lounge was late last month in the Seattle Sheraton Hotel & Towers. I called into the Lounge on my second day for breakfast, I am English and like a hot breakfast, there was none available (again a very poor choice in general in US properties) so I had a cup of coffee - it was delivered along with a form asking for me to indicate how much I wanted to tip the server.

I don't want to tip the server as I don't see the point of having a server, I would be perfectly happy to serve myself. So I do not sign for a tip. But when I check out there is a $2 charge on my account fron the Lounge.

Generally I would rank the Club Lounges as Marriott first, then Hilton followed by Starwood (there are tons of exceptions, but overall this is my experience).

In terms of general sucking up to their top eite members, Hilton has really deteriorated over the last 12 months, Marriott is consitently good and Starwood is all talk with very little in delivery [I will not bore you with the diabolical service I have recieved from Starwood over the last month - they promised the earth and in the end left me two nights without a hotel bed - thankfully Hilton stepped in on both occassions - and this is the service from the Platinum Concierge, their service was so laughably bad you would not believe, I mean really diabolical.. one day on the Starwood thread I will tell all. I am trying not to let this influence the fact that I yesterday started discussions with Starwood about a Global Account - but boy is it hard].


Anyway just a few of my thoughts.

Nick