I was elite with Hilton and for the past two years have been Starwood Platinum. As far as hotels are concerned, The Westin has the "heavenly bed" which pretty much does it for me. My preference in a hotel is comfort, a nice bath, quality meals and privacy. I find the Starwood properties to fit all the above. Usually with a Westin or Luxury hotel the rate may be a bit higher ($20 to $50 per night) but the sound-proofing, amenities and SERVICE really offset that. Add to that the great point system and the conversion to airmiles bonus and I think SPG is the best investment I ever made. Even as a gold I got preferential treatment and nice upgrades.