hhoope01

I tend to think it depends on the stay patterns one might have. As mentioned earlier, Marriott FS hotels tend to be a bit more consistent in quality than Hilton's FS hotels. And then add in Golds get guaranteed CL access, Marriott tends to look better for those who tend to stay more at those FS hotels.

But Hilton seems to have better limited-service hotels. I'll take an HGI almost every time over a CY. And Hilton's extended stay properties are usually better than Marriott's. And while a number of ESes are showing their age, I still like the room space, breakfast every morning and evening drinks. Marriott doesn't really have anything similar.

Kacee

It does. And the Marriott program is far more restrictive in terms of excluding large numbers of properties from providing benefits.

All in all, I consider Gold in both programs to be basically equivalent.

pinniped

+1000. HGI >>> CY. Hampton > Fairfield. I also like Homewood a little better than RI, probably because most of them are a few years newer and Homewoods put mostly King beds in their 1-bdrm suites whereas RI use a lot more Queens throughout the system.

In the Embassy category, it's more of a mixed bag. I love a well-run ES. There are some out there that have good local beers and wines at the manager's reception and have a breakfast area that flows well and handles the crowds without issue. Then there are others that aren't so great: either they're in need of renovation or they aren't set up well at all to handle the breakfast crowd. (Probably because they were built as some other brand first - not a breakfast-included-for-all brand.)

So I'd take a good ES over an SHS, but I'd take an SHS over a not-so-good ES. I do like Marriott's newer SHS's quite a bit. It's not exactly the same room layout as an ES, but close enough...

Chang11

thanks nk15 and hhoope01!

IsleOfMan

First, I don't think HHonors Gold and Marriott Gold are really comparable... I value my Marriott Gold status as almost equal to my HHonors Diamond in most regards except upgrades. That said, the stays/nights needed for Marriott Gold are either nearly as hard or harder to obtain than HHonors Diamond, depending on how you're getting Diamond (Stays vs. Nights, not including CC on either side).

I agree with others that, on the low/mid-scale end I tend to prefer HHonors properties, but tend to prefer Marriott properties on the high/full-service end, especially the Autograph series properties (which vastly out-number and out-perform the Curio Collection). As such, the bulk of my stays reside with HHonors. My HHonors Diamond status is just barely kept on stays... my Marriott Gold status was obtained through challenge after getting Silver through nights and the only way I'm likely to keep it is through buy-back, though it may be worth it just to have Gold for Marriott stays I can't avoid (mostly trade shows and conferences where staying on-site is preferred).

Every year I do an analysis of whether I want to stay with Hilton, try to jump over to Marriott, split between Hilton and some other program, etc. Every year I come to the decision that I'm best staying with HHonors as much as I can, and SPG folding into Marriott eventually confirmed that for me even further. I'm now in a position that I may be able to maintain Marriott Gold, but only through buy-back and only as level-of-service insurance for stays where I can't actively select HHonors. The main thing that keeps me with HHonors is how much easier it is to earn/keep top-tier status compared to other programs with fewer properties (Hyatt, SPG, other more luxury oriented brands), higher requirements (Marriott mostly), or less desirable low-end properties (IHG, Marriott to a lesser extend) thanks to the lower Stays requirement, my tendency towards short stays for work, and my willingness to mattress hop.

Miesque

This is exactly why I have never given much thought to moving to Marriott, I have developed great disdain for Courtyards and not too thrilled with the others in that category. HGIs are the one brand where I think Hilton really did a gret job in that they are consistent and provide a good product (including a great breakfast for those Golds/Diamonds)

IsleOfMan

Not to pile on, but EVERYTHING in the Marriott low/mid-scale portfolio, up to and including Courtyard, just doesn't measure up to the HHonors equivalents... ESPECIALLY the VAST majority of Fairfield, Town Place, Springhill, and Residence properties. They all feel like they were furnished from IKEA about 8 years ago and all of the laminate is pealing, cracked, etc. The bulk of my stays for earning Marriott Silver and then the Gold challenge were at these properties (with a few Ritz, Renaissance, and Autograph stays) and I see the same themes of cheap furnishings/fixtures across ALL of the low/mid-scale brands with the few exceptions being the VERY new properties that just haven't had their cheap furnishings start to show their age.

sdsearch

Actually, there are bunch of brands (especially overseas ones, like AC Hotels) that don't give free breakfast to Marriott Golds. It's not just Courtyard (though, especially in the US, Courtyard is by far the most commonly found of those brands).

OTOH, Hilton FS "downgrades" free breakfast for Golds at some properties to stuff like a coupon for the Starbucks next door. I've never heard of those sort of shenanigans at any Marriott FS.

pinniped

This comes up on the MR board once in a while. Yes, there are a lot of either international or niche brands in the MR portfolio that don't really acknowledge MR elite status. We somewhat expect this when we go to a timeshare property, an international brand that was recently acquired, certain types of boutique hotels, or the top luxury brand.

But CY really stands out as an anomaly right in the middle of the Marriott lineup. There are hundreds of them, they're a meat & potatoes brand that most Marriott members run across (and/or know to avoid), and there's no unusual feature about them that would suggest that they should stand alone in not providing elite benefits.

You can't even earn points on incidentals there. Which seems totally counterproductive for them, as newer Courtyards are being built with restaurants/bars and other near-full-service amenities.

If you're an HGI regular, be happy. The grass really is greener on your side.

nk15

Yes, this makes sense, Marriott Gold is slightly more valuable but HH Gold is easier to get, and the overcrowding comment makes sense. I just don't like the gamble of getting lounge access at Hilton though.

Btw, CYs in Asia are often great with complimentary full breakfast, while there full scale Hiltons in the USA with continental breakfast only.

eddibabyyeah

In the UK I very rarely get lounge access with HH gold. But its guaranteed with MR. So, I stick to Marriott. I am now only 3 nights away from Platinum with MR, I will then send in a status match with HH, so hopefully I can get guaranteed lounge access at Hiltons.

jeffandnicole

The one brand I always liked with Marriott was their Residence Inns...especially the ones with fireplaces on a cold winter's night. And for being a long-term stay with a full kitchen, they still provide one of the largest breakfast buffets of any hotel.

nineworldseries

Really? I feel exactly the opposite. My one Hilton Garden Inn stay was really bad (Phoenix) and I think Hampton Inns are just kinda gross. Would way rather stay at a Courtyard or SHS than a HGI or Hampton. Heck, I'd rather stay at a Courtyard than an Embassy Suites, honestly.

Is this one of those things where the properties are way better/worse overseas than in America and I just don't realize it?

jeffandnicole

It means your sample size is too small, and/or you simply don't like what a particular brand has to offer. Heck, you stayed in 1 room of a 100+ room hotel, and you instantly said to yourself that hundreds of hotels and tens of thousands of rooms are all exactly like this room.

1KHI

I'm in exactly the same position as the initial poster. Typically qualify Hilton Diamond on nights, but I decided to give Marriott gold a try (after comp with United 1K). I'm happier with their Marriott brand and have picked it over several Hilton hotels in the past year. Upgrades are more consistent as Marriott Gold than as Diamond, and the 4pm guaranteed check out is much nicer than having to fight with Hilton to get even a 2pm.

On the other hand, Courtyard is an odd brand, but I still pick HGI over CY when both are available.

If Marriott would offer full breakfast at CY and other brands, I'll probably just switch completely.