IME, pillows....like a lot of other things at HI and HIX are "hit and miss"....although the trend there seems to be going in the right direction. On balance, I find pillows at Marriott-branded hotels to be better. I speak from limited experience with Holiday Inn, however, given that Marriott is my preferred vendor.

All of this said, it's a fact that some Marriott-branded properties have been neglecting their pillows. Not sure what the percentage would be, but it's significant. My theory is that pillows included when Marriott upgraded their bedding package a few years back are approaching or surpassing their lifespan, and too many locations are neglecting to replace them. I stand to be corrected on this, but for whatever reason there are too many hotels with less-than-comfortable pillows.