I more or less switched last spring on a family vacation to Florida. I have been a Diamond for about 10 years. I booked a Hhonors week at a Doubletree months in advance and requested a room with a patio or balconey. When I arrived, we checked in and there was no upgrade. While disappointed I couldn't complain as it was a free stay. The hotel itself was a bit run down and the restaurant service was horrible. During the week on a whim I called Starwood to see if I could get a night at their resort. Sure enough, they booked me for the next day and asked if I would like a balconey room upgrade. Of course, I said yes. We stayed for a night. The hotel was great, they had several great restaurants, and not only did we get our balconey but they got our kids into the kids night so the wife and I had a nice romantic dinner.

Since then, I have booked almost all my travel at Starwood. I won't complain too much about Hilton. They have been good to me over the years but their program is very tired and nothing like it used to be. Starwood, on the other hand, seems to make a effort to recognize me during every stay. They offer a much bigger variety of upgrades and suites for rewards stays, which is very important to me with the family.

The devaluation is sort of a non-event to me, but hopefully Hilton will get the message and breath some fun back into the program. Till then, Starwood will get most of my business.