Originally Posted by MD/DC Flyer

No program is perfect for all occasions. All programs have their strength weakness. Judging an entire program on the availability of one night redemption is a very shortsighted approach (as is transferring of UR to Marriott, usually).

With the current state of affairs, it is extremely easy to achieve a meaningful status in most big chains without actually staying there a lot of nights. IHG, Marriott, Hilton, SPG (heaven forbid, even Choice and Carlson) statuses can all be achieved via credit cards. (Hyatt is the only one out of the game, as Platinum status is both easy to achieve by staying and pretty much meaningless).

As an educated consumer, one should not follow blindly one program, but explore the program and use each one for its strengths.

Point wise, in the end, and on average, all the big ones are pretty much the same. When you take into consideration the ease of getting point and the points required for redemption, in toto (while not necessarily true for one particular redemption), they are all very similar.

If there was one program that was significantly better value from the other, people will flock to it, and very soon after they will not be so much better.