This all depends on what you value, where you travel, and how much you can spend.

If the relevant choice is Hilton Garden Inn or Four Points, and you want to stick with one chain, you're probably going to pick Hilton. Too many sketchy Four Points properties.

If the relevant choice is Hilton vs. Westin, and you travel to large markets that tend to have Westins (or at least Sheratons), personally I'd choose the Starwood brand. But there are plenty of markets without real Starwood competition.

Hyatt is similarly limited by availability of properties. And, of course, it's not available for those whose price range is going to dictate a Fairfield by Marriott.

That said, there are certainly general claims that can be made...

* Four Points = bad or at least inconsistent. Hilton Garden Inn is better.

* Picking a chain and sticking with it is good, because elite status matters. (And Marriott has finally improved elite recognition across it's brands.)

* Picking a chain that has properties where you travel is obviously important.

* If you're regularly looking at Best Westerns and Comfort Inns then the points and status game is less important. Actually, you should be looking to Priceline for your stays and get nicer properties for the same dollars or less!

------------------
View from the Wing: A blog about Free Miles and Free Markets