Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 5,116
To me, brands have various groupings:
Marriott/Sheraton/Hilton/Hyatt Regency/Intercontinental/Westin/JW Marriott - business stay hotels
Ritz-Carlton/St Regis/Waldorf/Four Seasons - corporate luxury hotels
W/Edition/Le Meridien - hip hotels with bar emphasis
Courtyard/Residence Inn/Hilton Garden Inn/Hampton - basic stays wherever you need them
Autograph / Luxury Collection - Actually some of my best stays ever (Press Hotel in Portland, ME for example)
In any case, location, age of hotel and specific characteristics (restaurant quality, lobby bar, etc) are all more important than brand. I check TripAdvisor reviews before booking any hotel.