Originally Posted by
lauterbrunnen
I am trying to focus upcoming stays (in the U.S.) on one brand in order to obtain status before next trip to Europe. In the past, I have stayed primarily in smaller hotels in Europe that are not affiliated with the larger U.S. chains, so I'm not familiar at all with the quality of the various American chains in France, Germany, Switzerland, etc. So what's the best U.S.-based loyalty program to give me great rewards in Western Europe?
Well the best chain in Europe, and the largest, is Accor. However you probably won't have an easy time building up points with them unless you stay in US Sofitels very often. The next best would be IHG. You can rack up a ton of points staying at HI's and CP's in the US and use them very nicely throughout Europe. No other chain comes close to Accor and IHG in European properties.