Generally, as you say, Hyatt, Hilton, and SPG are your best choices because they offer status based on stays.

Hyatt and SPG have had far fewer choices in suburbs than Hilton (and Marriott and ICHG), although with Hyatt Place and Aloft opening lots of hotels, that will change. You still have to make sure that there is an option where you are traveling.

SPG will generally give you more redemption options worldwide, both cities and resorts, due to the sheer number of Starwood properties compared with Hyatt. Hyatt can be more generous in redemptions, especially due to Faster Free Night-type promotions, for example one going on now in which you earn one night free for every two stays.

If your primary goal is redemption, you should calculate the number of points that you would earn on an average stay, compared to the number required for redemption, at SPG versus Hyatt. Be sure to take into account the Platinum/Diamond amenity -- the 500 bonus points at Hyatt is more than you would earn for the stay alone in one night most of the time, although I am not sure if Hyatt Place gives that.

You might join both and just scrape by with enough to earn top-tier status on both (25 stays each, although promotions often result in a lower number actually required), which would allow you to at least have some choice on each trip, as well as give you a nice bank of points with lots of options for redemption.