I did a search and didn't find the answer.
So I'm a Lifetime Platinum at Marriott and recently signed up for an SPG account as well as a result of the merger.
I have both credit cards.
I probably spend 100 or so nights/year on the road, typically with Marriott. I'm not enamored with Marriott any more, and in fact am staying in the Little Rock Four Points as I type this as the full-service Marriott was sold out this week (and even though the GM offered me an override, I nixed it in favor of an opportunity to check out a low-end SPG property).
My question is this: what's the fastest way for me to accumulate meaningful points (for future hotel redemptions) using either my MR or SPG card at either Marriott or Starwood properties, as I can obviously easily exchange back-and-forth for the 3:1 ratio. Is either program currently more generous than the other regarding point awards?
Marginally so. The SPG card at properties in either program earns 2 SPG points, which x3 is 6 Marriott points, while the Marriott card at either property earns 5 Marriott points. (For those not lifetime, the Marriott card giving an elite night every $3000 might offset that, but since you're lifetime, it wouldn't.)
There's similar margin earning differences in each program itself at the same types of properties. But that's the clincher: Only at the same type of properties.
Ie, the differences between the two progarms are much smaller than the hotel earning rate differences between a Fairfield Inn (10 Marriott points per dollar) vs a Residence Inn (5 Marriott points per dollar). So it matters much more
which specific brands you stay at, rather than which
program you stay it.
And it also matters much more whether you max out all promos. Promos on not-so-expensive hotel stays may double your earnings or more. So if you stay exclusively during promo periods and max out each promo, you'll earn way more per night than if you stay exclusively outside of promo periods. (Me, I belong to multiple hotel programs, and I "follow the promos" so right now during the Marriott / SPG "dead" time of promos I'm staying with other programs. I'll come back to Marriott once they start up a new promo.)
Also, do you earn 40000 points a year on your Marriott credit card? If nowhere near that, consider that you accumulate points faster by not applying much for any credit cards other than Marriott family credit cards, and
not always having one! For each specific card, you have to wait 2 years since you last got the bonus, plus have the current card closed, But you could do this with both the personal and business Marriott card, on a staggered basis, and thus always have one kept open, while you close and re-apply for the other one. But since Marriott cards are from Chase, you have to stay below 5/24 to make this all work. (The Marriott business card is exempt from 5/24, but the Marriott personal card is subject to 5/24.)
Btw, it's unclear if/when the SPG card will go away. Not this year, but maybe sometime next year? So the SPG part of the equation is temporary.