At the end of the day it's horses for courses, I am a former SPG plat from early this century who has invested in IHG the last ten years making it to Royal Ambassador and Spire level, and guess what I am now focused back away from IHG.
What impacts my moves is the availability of properties more than anything else, for a while SPG was shrinking where I travelled, now it's IHG, I learned long ago the bucks in points were best valued by hotel redemptions, not airline miles.
Love paying $35 in points for a hotel room for the night, thanks IHG Points breaks, but if you don't have a hotel in town then there is zero chance I will be able to use my points at their most valuable. Throw in a top tier with benefits that still seem to be a work in progress (spire) and your program is looking even less attractive.