Need some advice, I am a traveler, who usually stays around 30 nights a year in upscale hotels around $300 per night (usually exe. levels).

Would it be better for me to switch to MR from HH? MR has offered a status match run to get me to Gold?

I think you need to decide why you choose Hilton or Marriott in the first place.

Is it because one hotel is better / offers more in terms of perks or comforts? I think in this case they are even. What I don't know is what Hilton offers you for your 30 nights a year. How are you treated? Is this a premiere level at Hilton?

Is it because one of these hotels has more choices in the cities you travel to? This would be at the top of my list, and only you can answer this.

Is it because of the rewards program? From my understanding, Marriott's program is one of the better ones in the industry. They have many hotels in prime locations which offer excellent vacation opportunities. To me, this is very important as well and is one reason I choose Marriott.

I am top tier in both Hilton and Marriott. The challenge for maintaining Marriott status is that it can only be done by staying the required number of nights. Hilton allows us to get Diamond with 28 stays, which includes award stays. Further, thru strategic use of rolling tier, we can basically requalify every other year, while maintaining status throughout.

Marriott requires 75 nights/year to maintain platinum status. (I know you asked about gold but I happen to know the top tier requirements of both programs, so am comparing like to like.) That's a lot of nights.

You'll need to look at your stay pattern and determine if you spend enough nights in hotels annually to meet the more challenging requirements of the Marriott program.

I had originally chosen Hilton, since it was close to my rep. office. I find that there are other Marriotts close by.

Hilton is definitely better.

I think I should just do the Gold challenge and then accumulate on HH again.

If you think Hilton is the better program and won't really stay at a Marriott after the completion of the challenge, why would you even complete the challenge in the first place?

A point to note is that with the 15 nights from the Marriott Premier Visa card and 35 nights, you will have Marriott Gold level (not stays, but nights). If you stay somewhere for a week at a time, then a program that maximizes nights might be better. If you stay only a night at time, then a program that focuses on stays might work to your advantage. One of the strengths of Marriott's program is that their Gold elite level is actually a decent level to attain. At FS Marriotts, you will get access to the CL (assuming there is one) or breakfast during the week, room upgrades (not normally suite upgrades, but I have received those at about the same rate as when I was a Plat), room type guarantee, etc.

One more thing to think on is what awards do you want? Personally, if I were looking at picking a program to start with, I would look at my stay patterns (approx 30 nights/yr @ $300/night) plus add in CC bonuses and any other bonuses you think you might be able to attain. You now have a rough idea on how many points you will acrue in a year. Now look at the awards for each program and decide which one is more likely to have attainable awards that you want.

If you are purchasing exec level rooms anyway, I dont know what else a program would give you other than point earning potential. Since you are paying about $300 per night and about 30 nights a year you should be just about Diamond leve with Hilton as another way to make top tier is to hit 100,000 base points ($10,000).

To be honest, if I was in your shoes I would find out which group has the better properties in the locations that I stay since you are already purchasing exec level rooms.

I am more thinking about my leisure travel. I want more selection, I guess when I go on vacation.

Also, I wouldn't mind getting myself one of these spinner bags.

If I do the challenge, I will be gold...the accruals look the same on Hilton and Marriott (10points per $).

I could save the company some money, by doing the upgrade (buy cheaper room and then upgrade).

The only catch: 30 nights is about the worst possible frequency to make Marriott your primary chain. That puts you right on the high end of Silver (ongoing), which is a lame status. (They won't let you challenge every year, I don't think.)

It's 35 actual paid room-nights to hit Gold - if you have the "new" MR Visa - stays don't matter and awards don't count.

Certainly understand the desire to diversify to increase your award destination selection. The other catch with Marriott is that the program is a bit weak on the small awards.

I'd be hesitant to leave a nice HH Diamond situation unless I felt like I could (a) sustain MR Gold at a minimum, (b) open a new MR Visa account with a U.S. address or in a market where the card has similar perks, and (c) make a run up to about 250k-270k Marriott points.

For full-service hotels, with the new Visa, it's 17 to 18 points per dollar, depending on status. Add in a Megabonus, the credit card sign-up bonus, maybe a few other promos here and there, and you're looking at about 14-15 months of your normal stay activity to reach 250k MR, which is good for one Category 6 Travel Package. 270k gets you a Cat 7 - which is any hotel in the system. (Unless there are exclusions I don't know about.)

Are you thinking of any specific award destination in particular? Perhaps folks here can provide feedback as to whether there really are good Marriotts there.

Correct. Upgrade challenges are one-time exceptions (and hard to get in the first place).

Hilton are by far the better in my opinion ------------and in the opinion of many of my colleagues. I don't like Marriott. They are too hit or miss. The good ones are very good but the not so good ones are dire, whereas with Hilton, you know what you are going to get.

As an MR Platinum and HHONORS Diamond, my experience is just the opposite. This is especially true for Hiltons in the US--quite unpredictable.

One consistency I have noticed from posts in all the hotel forums is that there are some who think that hotel chain 'A' is more predictable (consistent) and hotel chain 'B' is less predictable. And you can randomly place any of the hotel chains as 'A' or 'B' and it doesn't really matter.

I choose Marriott because they tend to be close to where I have been traveling, my company tends to want us to stay with them more so than the others, I like and understand their Rewards program, I'm almost Lifetime Plat, etc. IOW, for me they work out the best.