Originally Posted by eponymous_coward

Simply put Hyatt doesn't work for me for a lot of my travel. I'd say it could take care of around half my room nights at best.

Hyatt status works like this: you're either Globalist and you get suite upgrades and breakfast showered on you, or you're getting bottled water and thanked for your loyalty in your high floor stsndard room (in other words, not really meaningful status). If I deduct half my room nights from my stays I either need to do an ungodly amount of spend on a Hyatt card that I can't put on a Chase Ink, or I'm not getting meaningful status. If I don't have meaningful status I might as well use Expedia or Priceline or (inset booking engine here).

Hilton and Marriott have meaningful status benefits I can sustain with a credit card without spending and earning 1x on a cobrand card, unlike Hyatt. Hilton has consistent promos such that earning on paid stays is competitive (the points are worth less but between the credit card, Diamond status, and promos you earn a lot of points). Marriott in general is already competitive on paid stays.

I have no issue choosing Hyatt where it makes sense, as well as transferring points from Chase or Bilt to Hyatt, but if Hyatt isn't going to work everywhere i want to stay then sure, i'm going to use cards advantageously. If you can just churn Ink cards and get Hyatt to work for you without bothering with Hilton, IHG, or Marriott, more power to you.