I'm in the same boat with travel to lots of smaller locales. I have gold status with Marriott and Silver with Hilton. I think Marriott has the better program, but their mid-market offerings of Fairfield and Courtyard aren't nearly as prevalent as Hamptons. In general, I prefer the Marriott product and program due to the value of the points. However, status is much easier to achieve with Hilton, although silver is worth next to nothing. 10 stays per year with Marriott will get you silver, which, unfortunately, is also worth very little, although the points will probably add up to a free stay or two or some FF miles.