I'd look outside the major US chains consisting of the usual suspects (SPG, Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Hyatt) if you want to maximize value for spend, unless you're just attached to a brand for loyalty reasons (and spend's somewhat irrelevant). As mentioned, you're paying for the brand name, not necessarily for the service level you'll get in comparison to local chains or local hotels.
The European chains (Club Carlson and Accor) tend to have pricing that's more in line with the very competitive Bangkok market (where a solid 3 stars for $50 USD isn't unreasonable, and some pretty swank hotels can be had at < $100 USD a night).
Using tools like Kayak and TripAdvisor in the area you wish to stay to find some possible candidates has worked out for me.