On the other hand, Marriott has a midscale brand in Fairfield Inn:

http://www.marriott.com/fairfield-in...l.mi#/s-offer/

which has free internet and free breakfast for everyone, and in many places costs less than any Starwood property (especially during the week), and thus makes it easier to get up to top tier elite status without having to either go without internet and breakfast or else pay for internet and breakfast until you get there.

As far as I can tell, Starwood has no midscale brand with free breakfast for everyone like Fairfield Inn in Marriott or Hampton Inn in Hilton HHonors. Starwood only has Four Points (and not in every area where there are muoltiple Starwoods) with free internet but not free breakfast, which I guess makes it somewhat comparable in offerings to Hilton Garden Inn (not sure what a Marriott analogy would be).