How about Marriott? Every $3K in spend gets you an elite night. The upgrades very between property but in general they are good for Golds and Plats. The lounges are decent and can be excellent if you're in Asia. My favorite part of the Marriott program is redeeming points for Ritz properties.

It seems like hotel points are more important to you but the SPG card does give the option to transfer to airline miles.