Originally Posted by
DJ_Iceman
Baaaaa....Baaaa.....
I've been top tier in those other programs, and purely by choice I now steer 99% of my business to Marriott. They provide the most consistently excellent product in the mass-market hotel business, from a facilities, location, and customer service standpoint. Even after I hit 75 nights I keep on staying at Marriott, knowing I'm going to be treated well. I couldn't say that at Hilton, Hyatt, or Starwood.
There's another factor to consider that supports your position.
Let's say it takes 50 nights to get the highest status on each hotel (I don't know the exact numbers, but for illustration, this works). And let's say you stay 150 nights per year. If you are Plat in Marriott, for example, all of your stays this year will be at the highest level. If you try to add Hilton or Starwood, the first 49 stays will be at lower elite levels (so you'd have 49 stays without the highest level of benefits). Granted, if your stay pattern is completely predictable, that's only for the first year, but if your number of stays goes up and down, you'll eventually lose status on one - and have to earn it back again.
Personally, my own view is to maintain max status with one provider and then only use the other providers when there's no choice.
YMMV.