SPG offers a 30K card a couple months during the year. I would just wait for that promotion. You can get both the personal and business versions of the card for 2x the bonus. You also get 5K bonus for referrals which you can refer your wife and friends to get even more points. (You also get 2 nights toward elite status for each card so that can get you to gold/plat status quicker.)

SPG points are very valuable (I value them at 2.5cents each) as they can transfer to a lot of different programs. Many SPG hotels offer points and cash redemption for even more value on your points.

Again, the first thing to look at is where your destinations will be and find the hotel availability (and desirebility) of the properties to make your decision. Hope that helps!