I am glad you found a situation where you think a Hilton is nicer than a Marriott. For the most part, I have found the opposite. In general, I find the like for like properties to be better with Marriott. So many of my Hilton stays are pretty old, tired and dirty properties. Those definitely exist with Marriott also. As far as status, I am lifetime Plat with Marriott and lifetime Diamond with Hilton. I cant stay I get much more value out of Diamond than I do with Plat, particularly with Hilton having so many lounges that they have close in the US. Also, I can typically find better value with my Marriott points. Having said all that, life is too short to stay at a hotel that sucks for a lot of nights out of the year. If the Hilton is better and priced right, why wouldnt you stay there?