Sounds more like my wife's travel patterns. She would probably argue that a Hyatt, Westin, or Omni are much more exciting (more interesting infrastructure, friendlier staff, better redemption opportunities) than your average FS Hilton.

But I'll leave that argument to her. She's more qualified to assess the high end. :D

I did have a multi-day FS Hilton stay and a multi-day Doubletree stay last year myself. The service quality was excellent at both. So perhaps if I could consistently stay at the top end, I'd think differently. Reality being what it is, I stay a lot more often at the lower end due to location and price, and the value is better for me at IHG.

As I stay purely for leisure I do not have that many stays in any one hotel group. Having said that, I have only one stay planned for the whole of this year in a Hilton compared to 18 stays last year. I have moved all my usual stays to Hyatt and Starwood and am keeping my IC stays where they are.

I have found service getting worse in Hiltons and the quality of the exec lounge has gone down drastically. I had a great stay in Evian on points but most other Hiltons I've stayed at in the last year or so have been disappointing. Maybe it's only the UK hiltons but I feel they have been overtaken by other groups and now feel quite downmarket.

I would definitely agree - my upgrade rate as an IHG Plat is definitely better than HH Diamond at the lower and mid-level properties.

Moreover - IHG has a much better overall value return. If you use the IHG thread info its easy to meet or exceed a 30% value return as measured in the relative 'hard' currency of their Anyhotel amex gift cards. That's right - for every $1 my company spends at IHG I'm getting back over 30 cents in currency I can use wherever I want to take my family on vacation. Hilton's rather sparse promo level hasn't come close with the one glorious exception of the "night on us" promo this quarter. Next quarter's double points/1 night for 10 promo really pales in comparison to what I see at IHG and other properties.

Lastly - IHG had the spark to offer "Luckiest Loser" in the face of HH's devaluation and that promo is paying off this very week - many of us are 20K PC points richer this week thanks to their forward looking attitude vs. HH's myopic short term bottom line attitude.

The difference is quite demonstrable.

Have not booked a single night at Hilton since the devaluation. IC just got 5 rooms for 4 nights in Scottsdale that would have normally gone to Hilton (since Starwood rates are way too high)!

Just re-activated my SPG account. Looked at what I would get for 15 nights staying in hilton - rewards/status etc - and decided I would go to SPG.

I am not a huge traveller, maybe 40-50 nights a year, and like to be able to use the work travel to stay somewhere nice with the family.

hilton just made this much harder, so bye bye.

T - 10 hours for demotion to gold for me after being Diamond for about 4 years. Now trying decide if HH Gold is decent enough or should I leave completely and stay only with SPG and Priority Club...

sdcarver

just when i was completely ready to give up on hilton, they go out & upgrade me on my current stay (my first & only suite upgrade as a diamond)....a very nice one bedroom suite at the conrad hong kong....

Was/Am a Hilton Diamond and Starwood Platinum. So far this year I locked in top tier with Starwood, Hyatt, and working on Mariott. Stayed 4 times with Hilton.

I never got any benefits as a Diamond, so if they want me back they'll have to make it worthwhile..... By my calculations, they've lost about $8,300 to date...

You never got the 50% points bonus? You never got Executive Lounge access or free breakfast?

you do need to stay at full service Hiltons or Doubletrees to get the most out of Diamond. There isn't a whole lot they can do at a Hampton or HGI to make somebody feel special...

Well I am a lifetime Hhonors through my credit card program, last year i was also diamond, this year dropped, but the devaluation of the hilton points, as somebody pointed out, came at a time where it was suprising and with no sense.... so this year i am actually making a special effort to make Spg platinum, which i anyhow liked better due to the more luxurious choice of hotels.... so far i have 16 nights this year with Starwood splitted between Bangkok and St.Regis Bali - i could have also gone for the same time to both Conrads available in this locations...

I also will be staying this year around 25 nights at the Westin Tokyo where i used to stay in the hilton shinjuku ( paid executive floor) now this means also that my employees will be also staying at the Westin Tokyo this year... we are looking overall.... at about 100 nights.... lost revenue for the hilton tokyo...

well c'est la vie...

Actually I've scored a number of nice suite upgrades at Hamptons and HGIs. (suite with separate bedrooms - sometimes with whirlpool spas, etc.) In fact I would venture to say that a lot of newer Hamptons and HGIs probably have more suites to allocate that most older mainline Hiltons.

Of course Hampton's aren't techincally supposed to upgrade Diamonds by policy but I do see it frequently in the ones that have the upgrades to give.

YTD-
19 Nights at SPG properties
3 Nights at Hhonors properties.

Mine is mainly due the the crappy way they treat you at Hilton Head when I spend award travel there.

I, too, am seeing much better treatment at the HI and HGIs while receiving lesser recognition and treatment at the FS Hiltons and Doubletrees. I have received upgraded rooms w/fridges & microwaves and suites at HI. Larger rooms, once a suite, at HGI. I don't expect nor ask for them as they are not part of the expected/routine benefits.
Meanwhile, in 2010, at the FS Hiltons/Doubletrees where I am spending $250+/night, upgrades were ALL only deluxe rooms except one ER. I do ask for the ER as they are supposed to be part of my benefits. Same answer, none available, which is believable as the ELs are SRO.

I am currently awaiting approval of my SPG Platinum status before changing completely over. I'm seeing less and less to keep me at Hilton. The FS Hiltons' ELs are already packed without adding in all the fast-track Diamonds that they are currently recruiting. Offerings and behavior in ELs have deteriorated to the point where sometimes it is an unpleasant and uncomfortable experience (fighting over a table/chairs!).
I feel I am unappreciated despite earning Diamond the hard way (both stays & nights and close on points) 5 yrs running. I have gotten no targeted promos and no incentive to encourage me to continue my business with them. The treatment I receive at the hotels has declined dramatically this year.

I am cutting back my Hilton stays after my current reservations are done and will just stay on awards in the fancier Hiltons afterwards. Once my Surpass bonuses are completed, it'll be gone too. After all, if things continue the way they are, Hilton will offer me a fast track for Diamond when my status expires and I won't even have to spend $40K on a card w/$75 annual fee!

Just a second here - maybe we can e-mail Eunice Ho and have you tossed out and into a hall closet. :D