Yes, excellent assessment(s) and particularly linbe!

"...Where I do find a big difference is with breakfast, I am almost always treated to breakfast with Hilton and could count on one hand the number of breakfasts I was offered with Starwood. This is an important feature to me and I enjoy eating in the hotel quickly and inexpensively...

I absolutely concur!

The lack of Club Floors at Starwood, particularly at otherwise lovely Westin properties, is somewhat disconcerting to me!

And at the lower end properties, where I admittedly only very rarely stay, Hilton's Hampton Inn and also even Marriott has a big edge in my opinion over Four Points. A free minmal continental breakfast would go far to try to equalize the differential IMHO!

And Marriot is seemingly the most consistent and reliable for real UG's and Randy personally confirmed this for me! Likelihood of upgrades to Club floors at these properties according to recent data revealed to me by Randy (at live chat 8/15) are Marriott (nearly 90%) > Starwood > Hyatt > Hilton (75%)

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...ML/002249.html

Yet, in SPG's arsenal is the fact that you almost never get the truly nonsensical and upsetting rate "crap" where there are no pints, no miles, no double dip, or no breakfast, or no UG's, or no amenity, or no whatever with the rate you have booked! I absolutely HATE this kind of stuff and truly it helps me book away from Hilton. And as a Hilton Gold, I've also often wondered about the relative value of being/becoming a Hilton Diamond.

BTW, I also love SPG and being Platinum!

And both provide wonderful assistance via Adam and William! Thanks VERY much to both of you!