I got Silver in Marriott, by virtue of a 10 day long work meeting at a Renaissance property (10 days of my life I'll never see again, btw.). And then my low-level status on Delta got me Gold in Carson.

Realistically, I'll never use the benefits in either of my back-up plans. Hilton's broad enough to have a place that's convenient for me to stay, and it seems that most of the other programs are devaluing in order to race each other to the bottom.

I really do question whether hotel loyalty matters at all, these days. I'm a Diamond, and I rarely get upgrades at most properties.

Other programs aren't better. My spouse is staying at Courtyard Marriott for anywhere between 2 and 4 days a week, every week, all year long--but only one stay a week. So, minus vacation, that's 48 weeks, and he'll never get beyond Gold with Marriott... even though he's staying with them, more often than he's home.

I really am starting to think that loyalty doesn't matter to hotels the way it does to airlines.