I daresay this is precisely the purpose of SoWhat's inquiry. Using his figures: if a Hilton night requires 45,000 points and the card generates 3 points per dollar, that's $15,000 spend per night. If a comparable Starwood night requires 10,000 points, that's only $10,000 spend per night.

The complication on the earning side is that the HHonors card can generate double points (6 per dollar) in a range of categories and this can tip the arithmetic back in favor of HHonors. On the redemption side, both programs offer better value than the single night rates mentioned. We need to help SoWhat determine what his typical redemption should require if each program is used optimally.