Like most people said already, it's really a personal choice.
Personally, I like the Hilton, Starwood/IHG, Hyatt, club carlson "properties" in that order, but in terms of "cards" (from an AF/benefits perspective) I'd say IHG and Club Carlson wins it for me. IHG for its initial 80k bonus and free night each year and club carlson for 3rd night free and 5x earnings.
That said, none of the hotel cards are my go-to cards. When I do use them, I tend to go for club carlson for the 5x, followed by Hyatt (more valuable than IHG, and I don't have SPG). So as you can tell, my hotel card choice does not match up with my preferred brand/properties.
Hilton isn't even on my list as a go-to card since the devaluation, which is a shame because I used to really like Hilton. However, their devaluation had been massive and disruptive, and while you could earn points with relative ease, I don't plan to make much of an effort because it's only a matter of time before Hilton devalues it even more. I don't intend to focus on Hilton points unless I have some specific plans in mind.