Originally Posted by
darthbimmer
I know it's a minority opinion on FT, but past a certain threshold choosing hotels based on points earning is letting the tail wag the dog. Other things being roughly equal, sure, I'll choose the hotel that pays more points. But when an RI is non-trivially cheaper or nicer than other hotels where & when I'm staying, I book it and swallow the fact it pays half points.
I will fully admit to being a "point whore": i travel what i think is a ton for work(130+ nights a year) and I want to make the silver lining to that dark cloud as bright as possible. So, when its a paid stay, I will rarely if ever stay at a RI. However, when the family and I are traveling and I am using points, RI is ALWAYS my first choice. I love the properties and their offerings. But for me, the point earn difference between RIs and the other brands is a huge deal breaker.