FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
Programs: AA PLT,AS,UA PP,J6,FB,EY,LH,SQ,HH Dmd,Hyatt Glbl,Marriott Plat,IHG Plat,Accor Gold
Posts: 10,820
All sorts of excellent advice above. If I had to pick just one program, it would be Starwood, with the many reasons including the quality of its properties across the globe, the cash plus points options for hotel stays, and the Platinum (top tier) benefits. But as emphasized above, it really hinges on your own travel patterns and preferences; there are many more Hiltons, Marriotts and I believe Priority Club properties across the USA than there are Starwoods, for instanc.
You mentioned retaining status as a factor. Some hotel-affiliated credit cards, such as Hyatt, automatically come with a certain level of status. Others grant you status with certain levels of spending, such as $30K per year getting you Gold via the Starwood Amex card and $40K per year getting you Diamond (top level status) via the Hilton Amex Surpass and Visa Reserve cards.