Which TWO Hotel Loyalty Programs?
Apr 1, 2012 | 8:41 pm
#16
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Florida
Programs: AA exp(6mm), United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, Delta Platinum
Posts: 152
what works for me is spg and marriott. i am plat on both. I have top tier with hilton.
my recommendation would be either hyatt or spg as one of the two and then marriott or hilton for the second.
Hyatt and spg have great benefits but not great coverage. Hilton and marriott have great coverage for those many places where Hyatt and spg don't have coverage
my recommendation would be either hyatt or spg as one of the two and then marriott or hilton for the second.
Hyatt and spg have great benefits but not great coverage. Hilton and marriott have great coverage for those many places where Hyatt and spg don't have coverage
Apr 1, 2012 | 10:36 pm
#17
Join Date: Oct 2010
Programs: SPG Plat, MR Plat, DM Silver, RR, AA, US, BA
Posts: 226
I'm currently Plat in both SPG and Marriott.
I prefer to stay at SPG properties especially for personal travel because they have the nicest resorts consistently in the places I want to go.
For business travel, especially in the midwest, SPG does not have a lot of choices. That is why I tend to use the Marriott properties when travelling for business, or when I want a comfortable, inexpensive room at a non-resort location for personal travel.
Another nice thing about both programs is that they offer lifetime status.
I prefer to stay at SPG properties especially for personal travel because they have the nicest resorts consistently in the places I want to go.
For business travel, especially in the midwest, SPG does not have a lot of choices. That is why I tend to use the Marriott properties when travelling for business, or when I want a comfortable, inexpensive room at a non-resort location for personal travel.
Another nice thing about both programs is that they offer lifetime status.
Apr 2, 2012 | 2:51 am
#18
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum, PC Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 321
If I were you, I would go by the hotel chains that works best from your WORK travel perspective (whether your considerations are price, location or availability of upgrades/perks on paid stays).
My personal position has always been that it makes sense to look at the points value at redemption only if you have two hotels otherwise equal from the perspective of your business travel.
For example, when travelling to Amsterdam, on the night before my flight back to the USA I try to stay in one of two hotels located in the security area of the terminal. Though one of these hotels doesn't earn any points while the other one earns points I would likely never use anywhere, I just cannot justify extra 15-30 minutes of travelling from the next closest hotel (which is Sheraton) to the terminal, standing in lines to pass the passport check in the morning peak hour etc. Extra points for the personal use will never outweight convenience of being in the right place for your business travel (and I'm not talking here about inside-the-terminal hotels being EUR80 cheaper than the Sheraton which saves my company money - which I learned to treat as my own - I understand that this might not be the strongest argument for some).
My personal position has always been that it makes sense to look at the points value at redemption only if you have two hotels otherwise equal from the perspective of your business travel.
For example, when travelling to Amsterdam, on the night before my flight back to the USA I try to stay in one of two hotels located in the security area of the terminal. Though one of these hotels doesn't earn any points while the other one earns points I would likely never use anywhere, I just cannot justify extra 15-30 minutes of travelling from the next closest hotel (which is Sheraton) to the terminal, standing in lines to pass the passport check in the morning peak hour etc. Extra points for the personal use will never outweight convenience of being in the right place for your business travel (and I'm not talking here about inside-the-terminal hotels being EUR80 cheaper than the Sheraton which saves my company money - which I learned to treat as my own - I understand that this might not be the strongest argument for some).
Also, I like to enjoy the benefits of the status rather than switching hotel chain to get status on the next one and so on.
Apr 2, 2012 | 10:54 am
#19
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Brooklyn, NY, United States
Programs: AA, BA, UA, Spirit, Delta, PC Plat, SPG Gold, HHonors Diamond, Club Carlson Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,735
SPG points will take you the long way and Hilton points are so easy to earn! Besides, you already have Plat in SPG, and Gold in Hilton (which is nothing to sneeze at), so why dillute a good thing?
Apr 2, 2012 | 11:44 am
#20
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Long Beach
Programs: HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,171
i would stay with SPG and Hilton, but you should consider adding the spg amex and hilton surpass amex to your cards, the extra points from the stays really adds up. With the hilton Q2 promo and the surpass cards you can earn upto 36.5 pts/dollar at stays.