Originally Posted by
Gamecock
Couple schools of thought.
1. Maximize airline miles with hotel stays.
2. Maximize hotel points/status with hotel stays.
I go with two. I love my SPG points and love to use then in exotic locations. Hilton is my seconday program because of the ubiquitous nature of properties.
Same here. Building hotel points diversifies your FF balances so you won't suffer a catastrophe if something bad happens to your favorite program. Hotel points are MUCH easier to use than airline miles, although nothing beats RR points for ease of use. You can apply for the hotel's credit card (or use Chase Ultimate Rewards) to get bonus points to top off a nice hotel award.
My favorite is the 2 free nights with the Hyatt card. My wife and daughter just had a very nice stay at the Park Hyatt Syndey, with a partial view of the Opera House across the water. The cheapest room in that hotel is $795 per night. So, yeah, I'm a big fan of Hyatt points.
Now if only SPG would revive their option to transfer SPG points to Southwest...