As a top level status member in Hilton (Diamond) Marriott (Plat) and Starwood (plat), my personal opinion is that Starwood and Marriott are the two best programs. Hilton would be if they didn't give out the $%^& house to every Tom Dick and Harry. It makes the Gold Value nill, go read the Hilton threads, much tougher to get what you want rewardwise (yes the charts are competitive but they aren't that available) and even as a Diamond, the upgrades aren't that great. The double dip is nice but I don't need any more airline miles and 500 miles is still only 2% of a most freebies. Marriott has been great to me, I love them, and Starwood, so far so good, but I'm not far enough into the program to give a detailed evaluation, other than I agree that 4pts isn't that great. Good luck and smart choice to research prior to selecting a chain. If you travel enough, it may pay to select two chains.
Originally posted by silverpie:
I have an extreme moral objection to using an American Express card. I don't expect you to share it, but I do have it.
Granted that the 50k point promo is impressive. On average, I'd pay an extra 10-20 a night for a Hilton over where I'm staying, or else face some other sacrifice (a longer walk in summer heat, a loss of quality, or having to pay up front). And from what I've read, Hilton Gold doesn't seem to carry much weight--even with Marriott Silver, I often get a view upgrade at the Renaissance Concourse.