I wonder that nobody mentioned the free Internet access - this is something of immense value to me when traveling abroad. No need to get a prepaid data card in the country I am traveling to, and not paying through the nose like 20-30 Euro per day to check your eMail...

Apart from that most of my travel is within Europe, and as such free breakfast is available seven days a week, which is very important to me both during the week as well as over the weekends given that on a business-trip I not that easily can expense that (different rules in Europe than in the US) and on weekends tabs can easily run up 100 Euro+ for breakfast alone for our party of three.

As to the other benefits, I have made very good experience with upgrades when I needed them, i.e. on weekend-travel with my family. In fact just recently when I did a weekend-trip I booked a regular (lowest category) room at 10am, eMailed the GM and on arrival at 6pm I received one of their suites...I did stay at that hotel in the past on business, but my last stay was probably three to four years ago, and I was far from a regular then.

So yes, I tend to realize most Elite benefits when I stay...

Greetings - Dirk