I'm looking at points required per night at the Marriott program vs. the new Hilton program in 2010 an frankly Marriott is looking good when you think you will have to spend 25,000 points for a level 3 Hilton hotel and Marriott only cost 15,000 (without any point savers).

The only question I have is about point accumulation. It seems that Hilton is offering a good promotion if you get the Amex surpass card, 40,000 points for New members and then 2500 points for the next 8 stays if they occur in 18 months. You wind up with 60,000 points plus they have a stay 4 promotion going on where you can accumulate another 25,000 up to 75,000 for 12 stays.

Marriotts program may be better in turns of less points required per night but if I charge every thing to say an amex surpass card, that would allow me to get 9 points per dollar spent which makes me think that the Hilton program might be better for accumulating points faster.

Any thoughts?

Hi SimpleManToo,

I don't know enough about the Hilton program, but for Marriott ...

Anyone gets 10 base points per dollar spent at most Marriott family hotels (except for Residence Inns and one other brand where you get 5 - At Courtyards and some others, only the room rate counts). [Check the Marriott Rewards T&Cs for full details]

If you get a Marriott branded credit card (asssuming you are in the US or Canada), you get automatic silver status, yielding 20% extra, thus gettting you to 12 points per dollar spent, plus you get additional points for using the Marriott card at Marriott family hotels. Thus, you can be earning way more than 9 points per dollar spent.

I would recommend spending a little more time reading up on both programs and their branded credit cards to be sure that you are making the best choice. In the end, it's not necessarily about earnings, but about the ease of earning based on your travel patterns.

Cheers,

GenevaFlyer

I would base my choise on which hotel you prefer in the area you travel to the most. The point programs are both good and both offer promotions to get extra points.

Good points. I didnt realize that it was 10 points per dollar spent plus a 20% bonus for being silver or 12 points even at courtyards and fairfield inns. Since Marriott seems to be a better value than Hilton, this IC seem to be the way to go (based on # of hotels in my respective area).

I wonder if I could also get the 30K points if I convert from a chase card to a marriott chase visa? My card is now chase but not marriott and that way I would get 5 more points for staying at a marriott each night or 17 points a night if I understand it correctly (20% + 5 points for using marriott chase card) That way it really is a great program and I do not see any disadvantages to this program.

Simplemantoo
5 points for the Marriott Chase Signature Visa and 10 points for staying total 15 not the 17, you are adding the 20% and that is a different card

good luck

Actually, SimpleManToo is correct. The extra 20% is from elite status not from the card itself. (Though having the card will provide you with at least Silver status.)

Also, if one stays enough to get Gold status, the bonus is bumped to 25%. Plat status provides a 50% bonus. So a Plat staying at a Marriott hotel could potentially receive as many as 20 pts/$ spent (10 pts base + 5 pts Plat elite + 5 pts from charging on Premier Marriott Visa).

There are 3 different Marriott branded Visa cards. Two of them only provide 3 pts/$ spent at Marriotts and one of them provides 5 pts/$. But all of them will give enough nights toward status to get one to at least Silver status.

A bit more HHonors info, to ensure OP has info needed:
Since you are looking at point-earning potential as well as point-spend requirements... and since credit card earnings are included, here is how HHonors compares:
Base points = 10 points / $1 at Hilton family properties
Double-dip = 1 airline mile / $1, can also choose add'l HHonors points instead = 5 points / $1
As you mentioned, Surpass card = 9 points / $1
With Surpass card, you get Gold membership 1st year = 25% bonus = 2.5 points / $1
With the above that equals 26.5 points / $1 (with Diamond status, could be 29 points / $1)
To fully compare programs you will need to evaluate your hotel stay patterns, because you could earn 500 points / stay by booking online with the Amex card. If you mainly do single- or few-night stays at lower-end properties, the 500-point bonus really jumps up. (that would also earn you status faster with HH over MR) You also have the option of taking bonus points instead of other amenities with certain chains. Then again, if you reach Marriott Platinum, and stay at higher-end properties and choose bonus points (e.g. 500) as your gift, then that may help. If you use your chosen credit card for gas, drug store, supermarket purchases, then Hilton Amex cards take a lead again.

A couple examples, and you take advantage of all above, and you are HH Diamond or MR Platinum,...
If your typical stay is 2 nights at a rate of $100/night, then
HH = $200 * 29 + 500 = 6300 points
MR = $200 * 20 + 500 = 4500 points

If your typical stay is 5 nights at $250/night, then
HH = $1250 * 29 + 500 = 36750
MR = $1250 * 20 + 500 = 25500

If you are HH Gold / MR Gold, you would not get MR Platinum welcome gift but could still get HH Amex booking bonus. Scenario 1 above
HH = $200 * 26.5 + 500 = 5800
MR = $200 * 17.5 = 3500

So as you can see, there are many factors to consider (and we haven't even discussed which chain has properties where you travel), almost enough to drive you crazy -- which I'm sure has happened to some of the FlyerTalk-ers already as they worked through the same thing as you.

Oh well done SimpleManToo, you have raised one of the FT'ers favourite subjects, the scab of scheme comparisons, I am sure you will garner a huge number of responses as this is a scab we all love to pick at!

Me included!

My choice of hotel program is somewhat easier than those accross the pond, here in the UK and Europe the only widely available chains are:-

Intercontinental (IHG)... owner of the ubiquitous Holiday Inn brand which it flogs both as Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express, plus Intercontinental (only 1 such hotel in the UK so pretty pointless), Crowne Plaza and a bevy of other brands with little European exposure. Essentially the question here is whether you'll enjoy staying at HI. My reply, "Not as much as Marriott". On the other hand it is everywhere so I am a member of PP, and stay with them when I can't find a nearby Marriott... about 5 or 6 times a year. Points are a sych to collect, 5 nights and some cunning guidance from FT'ers has led to 60,000 points AND PLT status, not that its worth a great deal. Points may be a doddle to obtain, but like any currency that prints its denomination, the points are worth very little. 25,000 points gets you a HI for one night, no discounts for mulitiple nights, no BOGOF's, few deals, few lounges. It does however have its almost unbelievable pointsbreaks promo, where 5000 points can get you a night in an Intercontinental... Now that's what I call value

Hilton... About as common in Britain as Marriott and like Marriott much less common in the rest of Europe. With Hilton the points are easier to earn, taking the extra 5 points for double dipping, and the excellent Surpass CC. But, on objective comparison, even before the Hilton devaluation, a Hilton point was worth less than a Marriott point. Against that, HH does have the honour of offering the very best redemption availability... if you can buy the room for cash then you can buy it with points! Alas, not so Marriott, who made a great song and dance of ENDING blackout dates as a payoff for ITS devaluation in January, but still allowing some blackouts (erm, so much for ending them) and restricting inventory offered for point redemption, which frequently has much the same effect (eg. A 300 room property can mandate only 1 room available for redemptions to avoid the, already leaky, "no blackout rule"). Diamond status is worth something but doesn't automatically get you lounge access, nor does it offer the BOGOF EEO's. You do get nights credit for award stays, and the longer you stay the less the award can cost. For ease of "earn and burn", Hilton was the better scheme IMHO although post the Hilton devaluation its certainly a lot closer. But points were never my reason for choosing Marriott however, I just don't like staying at Hiltons as much as Marriott's!



The answer to your question on points accumulation? Hilton is clearly the faster accumulator of the two - no doubt whatsoever! But - and its a BIG but - you'll need more points to redeem at Hilton. You needed more before Hiltons devaluation, now you'll need even more than ever before! But then, lets face it, if you really want to accumulate massive numbers of points then IHG is it, their point accumulation promos are astonishing, but it really isn't merely about accumulation, its about availability, the benefits of status, the ease of redmeption, and more importantly, much more importantly in my view, where you're spending a good proportion of your life...

So in the end, that's why I chose Marriotts, I prefer the Hotels, the rooms, the public areas, the lot! I still stay with Hilton once or twice a year, they do have a couple of Hotels in the UK where neither HI or Marriott tread, and like HI, they're OK. But I choose my hotel on the basis of where I prefer to spend a night, and in my opinion, that's Marriott.

Once I'd decided which brand I preferred I simply took the Marriott Rewards scheme as a nice little extra, because at the end of the day, that's all it is!!

And I say this in the full knowledge that, here on FT, those words are Heresy