Originally Posted by
jeedk
Actually I forgot to add Curio Collection to HH so that makes it 5.
I purposely excluded HGP was that it was merely a comparison of the Big 3 - MAR+SPG, IHG, and Hilton. All 3 are 7-9x the footprint of Hyatt, making a Hyatt very much a niche operation in comparison.
For Hyatt, you can also add Hyatt Centric, so that makes 6 brands, and a total of just 146 properties outside the Americas (of all brands). Combining PH, GH, and Andaz, there are 79 properties globally, compared to 90 properties of just Ritz Carlton alone.
So just counting brands, not properties or rooms, the tally is MAR+SPG 12 (or 17), Hyatt 6, HH 5, IHG 2.
You also omit Indigo for IHG (often better than the cookie cutter CP), and Staybridge Suites which are in my experience far better than Embassy Suites.
Hilton just doesn't have the footprint of Conrads and really good Hiltons (far fewer than there are IC's).
Ultimately it isn't just the number of brands that matter (and you allude to this yourself) it is the footprint and both Hilton and IHG score big here compared to Starwood if what you are really seeking is a higher end experience. Which is probably why Hyatt is a poor match for me but I will give the status match a whirl.