I'm mid-tier in all three of the major hotel programs. I find Marriott is by far the best at that level. I don't think I'm getting "Gold specific" service - I just think they provide the best customer service to their elites in general.

For example, I can call Marriott with very general questions (e.g., "Where are the Marriotts along I-70 between Indianapolis and St. Louis?") and get good answers fairly quickly. They have the ability to search across brands and with limited information, and the CSR's all seem to know what they are doing. My only minor complaint with Marriott is regarding points that don't post, but in the end I have gotten every transaction to post, even if it took a couple of emails. I can't say the same for HHonors: they frequently want me to fax them things, at which point I give up if it wasn't for a lot of points.

HHonors agents usually require me to be very specific with my requests. City name, brand name, etc.