The CY breakfast issue is a problem but I'm frequently upgraded at CY's. I just had a large two room suite at a CY this week.

Also, the full service Marriott's seem to be backing off of the weekend breakfast issue. I've stayed two Friday nights this year and have been given breakfast coupons for both Saturdays (at different hotels).

The staff at FS Marriott's and CY's is generally very good. Some operations (most lately PHL Downtown for me) need some training but the are very much the exception.

I have to agree mostly w/OP. If they would simply fix the discrepancy with the breakfast benefits compared with other programs then I think the differences would seem almost minimal. But w/o the breakfast benefits at CY or FS on weekends, the difference seems HUGE. The other stuff is inconsequential on a daily basis to me.

The breakfast issue is inconsequential to those of us who don't eat breakfast. Sounds like the OP is wasting his money with MR. Move on.

You are right about family vacations and breakfasts. HHonors bonus promos have been fitful the last couple of years -- right now it's nice, but basically they've been chasing the competition lately with weaker deals, and HUNDREDS of Hilton properties are non-participating. (There's no such thing as a system-wide HH promo, no matter how they label it, because so many franchisees apparently can't be made to play well. That goes for reluctant, grudging delivery of elite benefits too, or sometimes outright refusal, or pretending they never heard of them.)

MR Pros:

Nicer top-of-range properties (full-line Marriotts beat Hiltons)
Better-trained staff
Much better elite recognition and communication
Points worth more than HHonors points which have just been cruelly devalued
Better promos overall incl. vacation packages

HH Pros:

Nicer mid-range properties (HGIs beat CYs)
Less expensive stays IME
Hotels everywhere
Easier to make Gold / Diamond
Breakfast benefits if you care

OP should note that the grass is always greener, etc.

I can't comment on the HH but I was a SPG Plat (no longer) and am now a loyal MR Gold for the past 4 years. Points are wonderful, benefits are great too but this is what is most important to me as a loyal customer, the properties for the vast majority of stays have been at worst, good and at best, just WOW! Plus the staff I have come across have been really friendly, helpful but utterly professional. No amount of free breakfasts and room upgrades can beat that...although they definitely do help.

I agree with the issues but such is life. We all make choices. I love living in the burbs of Sacramento most of the year but I hate the fog in the winter. I wish I lived in Arizona right now... but Arizona gets REALLY hot in the summer... ok maybe I wish I lived in Hawaii... oh wait, it's really expensive there. Such is life. EVERYTHING in life has pros and cons to it including hotel reward programs.

Your number one for HH applies to Marriott as well-

Guaranteed Executive Lounge access whether upgraded to concierge level or not.


And internationally most CL are open 7 days a week. Never stayed at one in Europe that wasn't.

Both lounges in Stuttgart and Frankfurt are closed over the weekend just like their US counterparts...

Greetings - Dirk

First, I go with Marriott because there are more properties more conveniently located to the far-flung places I wind up going. (Recently, I did have a first in that AlbemarleNC had a Hampton Inn but no Marriott. You'd think the home of Kelli Pickler would have an MI property...)

But more important to me ... If you earn HH points, you are limited in your vacation options to Hilton properties. MI has a better selection of beach resorts, different levels of European properties and off-the-beaten-path hotels where you can use your points.

You have the answer there. If you feel that MR is the worst programme ever, then don't stay there.

There are plenty of others (myself included) who find that it fits their needs, but if you're not happy, walk away and stay in Hiltons, Hyatts or wherever.

The Courtyard issue is a well-known one. The weekend breakfast thing is also a well-known one. You've accurately highlighted two of Marriott's biggest weaknesses IMHO...too bad you haven't had an opportunity to stay at a property that Marriott has arbitrarily decided to label a "resort".

You ask MR strengths vis-a-vis Hilton. Travel Packages, EEO's, Bonus Bucks, generally better hotels in the midscale range (e.g., a typical Marriott vs. a typical Hilton in a typical city), and a recent focus on strengthening the luxury (more Ritz integration) and character (Autograph, some Renaissances) offerings.

Hilton's strengths, IMHO, better motel brand (Hampton > Fairfield), better elite treatment at the primary suburban brand (HGI > CY), fair elite treatment at resorts and on weekends, and some better award values in high-cost markets.

SPG to me represents excellent reward value, fair value on small awards (e.g., short C&P stays), good upgrades, and unique/character properties.

Yep. And both the Courtyard issue and Ritz issue are well documented on this board.

There are times that I'm also unhappy with Marriott, but my gripe goes toward upgrades and suites. I find the best way to break out of that gripe is to take a mini vacation to The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance. No free breakfast (it's a resort), but each time I've stayed there, the room upgrade has been awesome.
I'll have to add the Vegas JW and Eden Roc to the list of places I'll go when I'm frustrated with upgrades. I haven't been to Eden Roc yet, but the Vegas JW gave us a beautiful 2 bedroom suite for New Years. No free breakfast at Vegas JW either, but free while free breakfast is nice, it's not a dealbreaker for me.
If free breakfast is the #1 priority, stil with HHonors. If suite upgrades are the #1 priority, stick with Starwood and stay at Westins/Ws.
All around, Marriott has been my best choice.

I just retired from my job in the AF Reserves and can now coast to lifetime status. In the last four years, the AF had me in hotels so much that I was able to rack up enough nights to be within 13 nights and 200K points of lifetime status. I'll have no problem getting both of those over the next three years (I've only been in the program for 9 years) with the MR Premier Visa. Well, I'll have to watch the points; I will likely need to work on that just a bit.
Since I won't be traveling nearly as much, it's really nice that I'll be able to maintain Plat status for the rest of my life.

Worst elite program? Hardly.

I agree.

As MR Platinum and HH Diamond, I was furious about the HH devaluation in the midst of the recession. However, HH has compensated for the devaluation with stratospheric bonuses that leave MR in the dust.

In addition to points made by OP, let me add:
(a) No breakfast at resorts (what in the world is Bill Marriott thinking?)
(b) Pitiful promotions (Megabonus versus quadruple miles--latter wins hands down). HH will get approximately 85 nights from me in Q1 2011 versus zero for MR. Q4 2010 I got quadruple miles AND one free night per 10 paid nights, so ignored the pitiful Megabonus (HH got 57 paid nights from me versus zero for MR)....
(c) HH has some amazing actualization properties coming into the fold (Koh Samui, Sanya, Bimimi, Sienna etc). MR--not so much.

I register for each and every Megabonus (I guess Minibonus would be more appropriate!)--and find that I actually never stay even one night. HH promos are WAYYYY too lucrative the past 6 months with places to use points far more enticing than stodgy MR.

It's time to wake up and smell the bonuses, Bill Marriott.....

Q1 only has 90 nights, so it is pretty amazing that you are staying 92 nights at Hilton.

He forgot that February has 28 days.