It's a case-by-case analysis - I'd go to the relevant forums and tripadvisor to compare the individual properties. Unfortunately as others have noted it is not productive to generalize given the variations among individual properties in the same chain. For example I've stayed at great HIX properties and some that were crap - both within the same county.

Personally I lean first towards the Marriott Properties as I am rarely disappointed at CY or RI. Hyatt Place has also been consistently good. I avoid Hilton like the plague since they devalued the program, though I was a fan of Hampton. HGIs have generally been too low budget.