Originally Posted by
mnredfox
But these two effects equal each other out. I guess we should not talk points so much, but ease of earning free nights. EG IHG would be 8 on scale of 1-10 of ease of earning free nights, and I'd put Hilton at 5.
It's such a complicated question, really. Especially given that not all chains are comparable. For example, I don't really think it's fair to compare IHG to Hilton or Marriott. Holiday Inn << Hilton or Marriott. (On the other hand, HIExpress > Hampton and Fairfield, IMO.)
On a scale of 1-10 for earning free nights (domestically), I would probably put it at a 6 or 7 with the caveat that it really depends on the bonus promotions that Hilton is running at any given time.
Originally Posted by
apodo77
MR guy who uses AMEX for travel and had no clue. Thanks for the heads up.
A word of warning: I haven't tried this yet, but I see no reason why it shouldn't work. After you login to membershiprewards.com, you are redirected to the actual Marriott site for booking. And there's no discount off the published rate, so that shouldn't be an issue.
Nevertheless, I've got two Marriott stays upcoming to test this newfound discovery. I'll report back with results (in the Marriott or AMEX forum.)