Phew, it took a lot of karmic effort to get to this point in the thread. There's a lot of negative energy from one particular poster. To that poster, a hint: I've been here for 20 years, and people generally try to be helpful. Please let them be helpful and don't think that everyone is out to get you or every point someone you deem to misunderstand you needs to be refuted with "WRONG."
That said, I think the best summation is this:
Originally Posted by
DallasEsq
Marriott IMO is the best program if you like using points to stay at nicer properties and can't get 60 nights a year at Hyatts. Plus, few Hyatts can match the top end properties of Marriott's.
I agree with this, and my situation fits. To fine-tune: I have a lot of Chase points to be able to transfer to Hyatt, concentrate most earn/burn at Marriotts, and at the same time have the ability to leverage the Surpass/Ascend card at specific Hilton properties that I like.
Using actual examples, I was able to redeem 30k Hyatt points per night at the Niseko Hinode Hills over Christmas, which was a fantastic bargain. I have no Hyatt status, but was able to redeem by transferring Chase points. For nostalgic reasons, I am partial to the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and having generous resort credit / not having to pay resort fees is useful.