Originally Posted by
Wally Bird
Second that. If there isn't a Hilton property where you're going there probably isn't a Hyatt, Marriott etc. either, but Holiday Inns & Express are more widespread. A bit down-market perhaps but hey, a bed is a bed.
I would suggest Starwood, despite the above being an
excellent point. The great thing about Starwood (like Hilton) is that award stays count. I'm a Plat with 50 nights and I only had 3 paid nights. So for a low-budget traveler like me (I don't like to pay more than $100/nt--I only do so for top tier properties), it's really terrific. Also, you can start off with Amex Platinum card to get SPG Gold off the bat and then get the biz and personal SPG cards, getting a nice bonus toward qualification. Also, SPG points are an excellent redemption value for low and mid-tier (up to Cat 5) using Cash & Points. But I'm points rich and cash poor, so YMMV.