World's Best Hotel Program
 

Marriott Rewards(R) Voted "World's Best Hotel Program"
http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/r...siness/Finance

Obviously, they haven't closely examined Starwood.

I don't know if they examined it 'closely' but there are some interesting examples in the link which shows why Marriott is tops.

As a three year Marriott Platinum I'm satisfied.

For points/awards, I think that Marriott is still up there. Additionally, their consistent level of product quality is a big plus.

However, I wonder how they will deal with announcement of Starwood's top tier status requirements. As of 1/01, requirements for top tier elite status are:
Marriott: 75 nights
Hilton: 28 stays/60 nights
Starwood: 20 stays/40 nights
Hyatt: 25 stays/50 nights

Starwood's no black out on award stays is starting to look very tempting.

If Marriott allowed last-minute award reservations, then it may have a claim. As it stands, Marriott is great for accumulating points, but trying to use them on short notice is impossible.

Do they have any plans to move to electronic awards, a la Hyatt? I can't count the times that I've been able to make same-day award reservations for last-minute trips, emergencies, etc.