"The consensus" is the SPG AMEX.

I reapplied for a SPG card 22 months after closing my previous SPG card. They did not give me the 10,000 point new customer bonus, but I did get 20,000 points for spending $4,500 in 3 months (under the terms of the offer I signed up for in August).

I have read that if you leave your SPG number off the card application, AMEX will create a new account for you and award you the full bonus. You can then call SPG and have your two accounts merged. I think this is the loophole to get the full SPG bonus again.

It depends where you're going!

Want to stay inside Igauzu Falls National Park in Argentina? Nothing but a (very pricey) Sheraton (SPG) there. There are other places in Argentina where WyndhamRewards is the only chain hotel there.

Want to stay in the fjords of Western Norway? Nothing but Best Western and CHoice there (as far as chains).

For every hotel program (except maybe Hyatt), I'm sure you can find many places in the world where that is the only hotel avilable on points in that area.

So unless you are only planning to travel to big cities with lots of major brand luxury choices (but you didn't explain), no one hotel program will work everywhere.

And while it's true in general that Hilton HHonors points are often a poor value, that's in general, and there are always exceptions. For 35k points/night, the Hilton "Castle' in Budapest with its fantasic location is far from an awful redemption value IMHO, especially since with just HHonors gold you get free breakfast and free internet and free upgrades/lounge acdess, while you may be paying $50+/person for breakfast at some of the other programs which have no such benefit (such as Intercontinental).

Often "luxury" depends on the floor you're on, and getting the better floors on rewards stays is only possible with status. (Most rewards programs, except Choice, only let you book "standafd rooms".

Surprisingly Choice, which you probably don't consider a "luxurry" brand based on the US, is way nicer in Scandivnia, and you can get suites or other great rooms at Scandinavian Choice properties for just 16k points/night (that you earn "on the cheap" in the US). Choice also lets you redem (but not earn) Preferred Hotels (a luxury brand which doesn't have its own points program), and one other luxury brand which specials in Mexico (whose name I forget).

Hilton HHonors (for a long time) and SPG (starting this month) count award stays toward status. (But SPG needs a lot more stays/nights for a status that gets you much, cmopared to HHonors, which has constant "fast track" offers.)

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In a word, wrong. Where are you getting your info?

Marriott has one of the most recognizable luxury brands out there (Ritz Carlton) and it's JW Marriott line is nearly as good. All major cities where you can find luxury hotels have one or both. Often times Marriott will have 2-3 hotels, one of which is luxury when other brands won't even have a hotel.

International (IHG) has more hotels than anyone but Choice and Wyndham (as well as a good luxury brand in their Intercontinental brand).

Hyatt does have too few hotels (#11 of 11 of the worlds largest hotel chains), but SPG isn't much better (#9 of 11).

Also, you can get "upgraded room" status with about half of 11 major players with a credit card perk.

check out this link for more info:
http://cdn.nerdwallet.com/infographi...el-rewards.jpg


I assume you want a card for your normal daily spending.

If you're going for airline MILES (only) then I agree with SPG amex. It gives good transfer of miles but poor selection of ok-to-good quality hotels

If your goal is hotel PERKS and POINTS you should pick something else (Marriott is my choice). If your goal is airline PERKS and MILES, you should pick something else (Delta Amex or Chase United are best IMO).

Marriott has the 2nd best per-point $ value, the lowest number of stays-to-award-night and it's credit card doesn't charge FX fees (as well as being accepted everywhere unlike AMEX).


I also like that pretty much all their hotels are branded as Marriotts. I can figure out real easy if a given hotel will give me points (unlike SPG where I'd have to have a cheat sheet telling me a Four Points was really a Starwood hotel). All the other programs apparently think having 5+ brands for the same product is a great idea. Wish it followed the clothing or auto industry: 1 low, 1 mid, 1 high brand. Don't confuse your customers!

I used to be a SPG fanboi too. Then I educated myself and saw the light.

Now I'm kicking myself for all my SPG stays that could have counted toward lifetime status!