Originally posted by RoamDog:
I recently took a job that requires quite a bit of travel and am looking for the best deal. I was focusing on Hilton and Marriott but a friend suggested that I look at the Starwood program and others. Most of my business stays will be a the main hotels in downtown areas. However, I would like to use most of my points for hotel stays at the level of property that includes breakfast and is typically not in downtown (i.e. Embassy, Hampton, Fairfield).
So, which program is best for me??
Hilton and Marriott are indeed where you should probably focus. Four Points, the lowest level of Starwood, doesn't throw in breakfast, and Hyatt doesn't even have a low level. One big difference is that Hilton gives frequent flyer miles along with the points; on the other hand, the hotel points from Hilton are less valuable than Marriott's.
The big question is, who has the hotels where you need them? For Hilton, the big downtown hotels are Hilton and Doubletree, while the lower levels are mainly Hampton Inn and Embassy Suites. In Marriott, Marriott and Renaissance are the high end and Fairfield and Springhill the low.
(One advantage of Marriott for me, which is not as good for you, is the wide availability of right-in-the-middle Courtyard, v. the still uncommon Hilton Garden flag.)