So i have stayed on average 100 nights a yr for 4 yrs at marriott and less than 5 nights a year at Hilton.

I priceline a room in austin this weekend for the UT/A&M football game and get the Hilton at a great price of $75 a night, regular rate 189. On arrival i started to chat with the front desk person and said at one time i had a gold card for a promotion and he said ok. He was like i have upgraded you to a the exec floor, a corner room which is bigger than any marriott room i have stayed in, free internet and valet.

I have never once got an upgrade at anything higher than a courtyard. Stay at JW hotel roughly 30 nights a yr. Hilton is seriously making me reconsider over Marriott.

I love the marriott but this weekend i felt like a king and i never stay at Hilton's.

I won't switch but just my opinion of hilton here in Austin, TX

The better question to ask, perhaps on HH forum, is if golds get UG's on a consistent basis. Let me be the first to suggest one exceptional may not be completely representative of all HH gold experiences all the time. The grass always looks greener.

comparing the two programs to me seems like "apples to apples". Sometimes the apple you bite into is a bit squishy. Most times, either one is perfectly fine.

I've received upgrades throughout the Marriott chain, but the funny thing is that the biggest room upgrades have always occurred when i'm travelling alone on business and staying for a single night... go figure.

You can actually call/email Rewards and have them place a code on your profile that will get you an upgrade everytime, depending upon occupancy. If you would like, PM me your Rewards number and I can take care of it for you when I get to work this afternoon.

I'm active with both programs. From an upgrade perspective, I find them similar: Gold gets you a good room, but generally not a true suite in a full-service property. However, because Hilton has OLCI at most of the props I've been to in the past year, I feel like I have more control over my upgrades. It puts my mind at ease to be able to view 3-4 different upgraded options and pick the one I want.

Also, Hilton lounges tend to be open more than Marriotts. And if you find yourself at an HH without a lounge or with one that isn't open, there's no question about breakfast: they will give you vouchers for whatever the next-best option is. At Marriott, you sometimes get it, sometimes get it after groveling for it, and sometimes don't get it.

In short, HH treats its Golds a bit better than Marriott, even though HH Gold is far easier to attain the MR Gold. I find it especially true in "resort" style properties.

Now for the flip side: there aren't many bad full-service Marriotts/Renaissances in the system. There are unfortunately a few more duds in the Hilton/Doubletree system. The best argument for Marriott loyalty is that if you travel to many cities and frequently book hotels blind (that is, no time for detailed research), Marriott/Renaissance generally won't do you wrong.

My opinions differ at the lower brands - I think HH wins on some, MR wins on some. But for full-service, the consistentcy of Marriott is higher than that of Hilton IMHO.

How full is your PM box?????

MNAudiS4 not talking about Marriott Gold vs Hilton Gold, but that Hilton Gold is treated better than Marriott PLATINUM.

My personal experience with Marriott Platinum leaves me feeling less than special - and keep getting cheaper.

*Platinum guest now get a 1/2 bottle of wine (375 ml), while it used to be a full bottle (750 ml).

*Marriott closes most concierge lounges on weekends, and many hotels don't give free breakfast when the lounge is closed (ALL Hiltons do). Marriotts rarely upgrade, and when they do I have NEVER gotten a suite. I can't think of a time a Hilton property hasn't upgraded me (not always to a suite). I've even stayed on HHonors points and still been upgraded to suites in Hilton properties (including the Waldorf=Astoria).

*When we go down a level I'll take Hampton Inn's over a Residence Inn or Courtyard (I don't know why anyone would chose a Courtyard over a Residence Inn - prime example of pay more, get less).

*Lets not forget that HHonors points are much more useable than Marriott points - for Gold and Diamond levels. (if there are no award available nights you can request an award stay. Every Diamond request we made has been fulfilled)

I'll take most Hilton Hotel properties over Marriott Hotel properties 98 out of 100 times - location being the primary differentiator in some cases - even if they Hilton property is "lower" I'll probably still take it because i know the hilton will make the extra effort, while marriotts will just keep trying to nickel and dime you to death. I NEVER have to pay for breakfast at Hiltons - that may seem small, but it's consistent.

you haven't seen the new Courtyards that are sprouting up. The interior furnishings are on par with the best i've stayed in while on business travel without resorting to a premium grade hotel.

Surprisingly, only had 4.

The new Courtyard packages are VERY plush and the new bedding is top notch. Its hard to please everyone with their sleeping comfortability, but for the most part, I've heard nothing but great things about the sleep people get in our new beds.

The standard full-service Marriott arrival gift, if you chose the wine, has always been a 375 ml bottle. I have gotten full bottles on rare occasion, usually at more touristy type or outside the U.S. properties.

I agree that the lower-end Hilton properties, overall, do a better job than the corresponding lower-end Marriott properties.

One BIG reason I would choose a Courtyard over a Residence Inn is that RIs only give 5 MR points per dollar spent vs. 10 MR points per dollar at a CY.

Lets not forget that the standard Marriott rewards schedule typically requires MUCH FEWER points for an equivalent award than Hilton, even though earning the points is similar (10pts/dollar). A Marriott "stay-anytime" award, which anyone (not just top elites) can use to override unavailable reward dates will still come in less than the equivalent HH base reward. Although not a stated benefit, the Platinum desk at Marriott has pulled a string or two for me in obtaining a reward stay.

My expreiences (mainly in Cali) were full bottles, now 375, but seems those were isolated, so I stand corrected

Good point, although you can just stay at a Hampton Inn and get breakfast AND all your points

Not really. If you stay 4+ nights you get a much reduced number of points.
AXON = 125,000 for 4 nights (cat 5 or 6 w/ Platinum AXP card)
GLON2 = 150,000 for 6 nights (cat 5 hotel)
GLONP2 = 175,000 for 6 nights (cat 6 hotel)
**Everyone gets silver status with a free HHonors AXP card (same with the Marriott Signature CC - it just has a fee)

Stay-anytime awards both cost MORE points and are limited availability - so more a farce than anything of value.

Check some recent Hilton threads - no lounge access if not placed on the actual floor. This is a giant downgrade in benefits. If I were still using Hilton (quit completely after they simply erased all points and account after 12 months of inactivity) this would finish it off.

We have received lounge access while being on a different floor...twice recently, at a Doubletree, and the NY Hilton. Jean

Doing a head-up comparison is sometimes tough. Keep in mind that the Marriott program is somewhat geared towards rewards that include 120,000 FF miles, whereas HH has phased out most (all?) of their package-type awards. And the Marriott award is a 7-nighter, whereas HH is 6 or 4. (Starwood has the 5-nighter covered.)

Finally, the points-earning has changed this year, thanks to the new MR Visa. Now, the base earnings at a non-RI/TPS/Execustay Marriott is 17 per dollar. With HH, I think you're looking at 21.5 (Points & Points, Silver, Amex).

So pick your poison: I think both are roughly in the same ballpark in terms of overall earnings. Want maximum hotel stays? HH is probably better. Want about half of your points effectively converting to FF miles? Marriott wins.

I don't really have much to contribute in the way of Hiltons vs. Marriotts as I'm somewhat of a new traveller and have stayed in way more Marriotts (Platinum vs. Silver on Hiltons), but this post piqued my interest as a former native Austinite, now Houstonian, who returns to Austin frequently.

I've stayed at that Hilton in downtown Austin and I love it, but because I'm a Marriott person I've started to stay at the new CY/RI just one block away. I would have to say that the only plus to that one is the free internet (and I guess that it's brand new) and once that Starbucks opens in it, that too.

On a more related note, I'm Platinum for Marriott already and have the option to stay at a Homewood Suites as opposed to a Residence Inn in Wichita, KS where I'll be travelling to on weeks on end. I know the HS is brand new but the RI is fairly new and not too shabby either. Is it worth it for me to start trying to rack up Hilton points/nights or should I just stay loyal to Marriott?

And lastly, I can't believe the Horns lost to the Aggies