In my opinion, Marriott is remarkably consistent. The STSN bag is always hanging in the same place. The carpet is almost always the same. (I think I could pick a swatch of that green and yellow stuff out of a line-up). The pillows are always down. The All American and Marriott Burger are always on the menu. The service is almost always good, and often times excellent. All in all, Marriotts are very reliable. (IMHO, they’re also boring and characterless, but often times, that’s what one wants on the road, right?)

That said, I think their elite recognition program stinks, and that’s why I’ve shifted all of my higher end stays over the Starwood (although I definitely prefer Courtyard and Fairfield over Four Points when economizing). At Marriott, an upgrade generally means a room that’s exactly the same as the rest, except that it comes with some mouthwash, a robe, and some tired bagels in the AM. Big whoop. With Starwood, I’ve been getting suites at least 75% of the time. And, I know I can use my points for some parts of the world Bill Marriott probably hasn’t even heard of.