As a collector of both Marriott points and AA miles, I couldn't agree more with aaupgrade's excellent analysis after reaching a similar conclusion some time ago. In my opinion Marriott points are the hardest to collect, especially since severing the tie to Amex Rewards, and have the most value of any hotel program. AA miles, while nice to have, are just airlines miles with little other value than flights. Those flights can often be purchased outright for a more reasonable cost (and of course then earn more miles). You can't beat the feeling of satisfaction when you check into your £250 a night room in London with a Marriott Reward certificate.