But what if the tier below top status is decent? Up to a point, I think hotel loyalty programs are wise to have a fairly elusive top tier status, but that obviously shouldn't be where all of the perks are squirreled away.

How does SPG PLAT50 stack up against Hyatt's 60-night tier? I personally dig Hyatt, but they're simply too sparse to take much notice of in terms of their loyalty program. They're my go-to when I have business in Reston, but otherwise I hardly ever even think to try to seek one out.