Originally Posted by
rtraveler
I agree. What other hotel can you get a top category hotel with $5k of MS'ing which is about $40 in fees for me.
"Top category" doesn't equal "top quality" wrt Carlson. It's all low and mid range. And that's why many aren't interested. If you just want a roof over your head, Carlson can't be beat for 2 night stays.
For one night stays, or the ability to stay at large number of properties with true top tier, Hilton is hard to beat.
Imo, for the Average Joe who doesn't want to bother with multiple programs to make sure they get the "best" redemption possible, HH has to be the program of choice, because of their large footprint, the relative ease and low cost of garnering points, large footprint of low to true top tier properties, and the ability to earn top status without a quadzillion stays under their belt.
But I suspect many on FT don't mind multiple programs. I do SPG, Hilton, Hyatt and Carlson, and stay at the best hotel I can in whatever location I go. Only major cities have Park Hyatts and St Regis (or are in "destination" locations), so Hilton gets most of my second tier location stays (with the occasional Conrad or resort property like Koh Samui included) because of their much larger footprint. I have yet to find a place where Carlson is the best option, so have yet to set foot inside a Carlson.