Originally Posted by darthbimmer

My choice of a primary hotel chain is based on locations first, then price range, consistency, and redemption value for points.

Location is really important because the hotel needs to have properties in the places I need to visit for business as well as the places I'd like to visit for leisure. Marriott scores really well because they have properties all over the US as well as in major Asian cities. A few years ago I spent more nights at Hiltons, which also have great coverage in the US, but I shifted away from them because their numbers in Asia aren't so good.

Price range is self explanatory. The really high end chains are beyond my budget, either for business or leisure. Even Hyatt is priced out of my range much of the time, otherwise I might consider them more seriously. Marriott does well on this criterion because they offer several discount brands in addition to full service brands.

Consistency is important to me as a business traveler. I need to know that I can count on a certain level of features, comfort, and service at the hotels I visit. I tried SPG and Radisson for a while but moved away from them because while certain properties of theirs were really nice, overall they were hit-or-miss.

Redemption value is a bit of a trump card. If a brand offers a really strong loyalty program or a lucrative promotion, I'll switch to it at least temporarily to capture some of the value. For long term loyalty, a brand needs to offer a program that's at least competitive with what the others in its market offer.