I have been gold for two years and just made platinum his year. In general I am very satisfied with Marriott. Occasionally there are hiccups during some of my stays but overall consistency is good. While I was treated well as gold, I do seem to get better recognition as platinum. If you’re expecting upgrades to suites or always expect to be on the concierge level, you will probably be disappointed. If you expect all properties to be at least good with most in the very good to excellent category as well as generally having your preferences noted and fulfilled, you should be satisfied.

For me the one exception to this is Fairfield Inns where there is a large variance in quality. My track record with them is improving. If you limit yourself to Fairfield properties with the newer design (e.g. three floors with all interior corridors or newer tower designs) you should be okay. The properties with the older tower design or the old three-story design with the 1st two floors with exterior corridors and the top floor with an interior corridor seem to be a poor bet. I have had many problems with general upkeep and cleanliness at those properties and now avoid them. Overall, I prefer Springhill Suites, followed by Courtyard, Renaissance and Marriott. Generally use full service properties in cities and CY or SHS in the suburbs or more rural locations. FI when it is the only choice in town or my budget is extremely tight. I am a point whore so I rarely do RI or TPS.

The consistency and dependability combined with the large number of locations is the winning combination for me. Starwood is much more limited in locations. I haven’t explored Hilton recently but expect it would be comparable to Marriott. Probably better at the limited service properties with more variance at the full service properties. Since I am satisfied with Marriott and have top-level status, I have little reason to explore Hilton at this point.

YMMV,

Jon