Hi everyone,

I'm have been traveling for work quite a bit over the last 5 years but just started to really pay attention to FF programs and maximizing points. I have read a lot on flyertalk but I'm a little unsure what hotel program I should pursue for 2015 status. My previous travel for work was located in the mid west and I usually felt lucky when I could stay somewhere with a HI or a HIX. Over the last couple of months my work has me traveling to the west coast and my hotel options have improved dramatically. Here is the current status that I have for 2014.

IHG - Plat Amb (earned through stays - 65 qualifying nights so far)
HH - Gold (from fast track program)
MR - Gold (through United status)
Hyatt - Plat (from United Club Card)
CC - (through status match)

I'll keep my IHG status, I feel I'm pretty close to getting RA status so I'm ok there. My question is what should I pursue for a higher status in another program? I'm leaning towards HH and MR as they give the best options for where I will be staying while Hyatt and CC don't have enough locations.

So what would be better, go for HH Dia or MR Plat? I like to rack up points to be able to take my fam on a nice vacation (internationally), but I'll end 2013 with nearly 500K points from IHG, so I'm set for a while and can build a new pile in another program. I also like to be treated to upgrades etc. when on the road and make my fam feel like they are special when they are with me.

What is the best program for me? What program offers the most value in your opinion? I appreciate the feed back.

Thanks,

Mike

Why not add SPG into the mix and go for Lifetime status benefit? If I travelled enough nights to earn Lifetime status, I'd do it in a heart-beat.

I would choose MR:

1. Lifetime platinum at 750 nights. Boost that with the credit card giving you 15 nights per year.
2. Marriott brands can be found everywhere. While HY and SW definitely have superior loyalty programs than HH and MR, I too often cannot find appropriate options where I need to be.
3. Great aspirational properties across the world.
4. Reasonable points for award nights.
5. As for suites--with experience staying at both HH and MR properties for > 1,000 nights--suite upgrades have been occasional (maybe 2%) with both. Exception is the one year I was MR Platinum Premier--I got lots of suite upgrades. And HH has no equivalent.

HH would once have been my first choice with Diamond Force and reasonable points redemptions--but both were abandoned. Plus no lifetime status makes HH a worse choice than MR.

Ditto on MR, but only as primary. Concentrate the first ~60 per year with MR, get both credit cards, get auto HH Gold with their card and MR plat with their +15 nights. Whatever is left go to whoever has the best promo going on - right now I am 2014 MR plat but staying at HH for the quadruple points.

For me, little discernable difference between chains nationwide, more important to pick the one I want when I go specific places. Never had a place that doesn't have at least one acceptable option between those two programs.

[added] If your goal is a nice place overseas, you have to count the crazy devaluation of HH points for those type of places. I got 7 nights at MR Rome for 240K, HH would have been double. Granted HH points are easier to get, but not twice.

I like Hyatt's program the best, but unfortunately Hyatt locations aren't as convenient for me as Hilton's in the cities I go to. At least with Hyatt you get a free HOT breakfast at any Hyatt without a lounge. For the properties with lounges, their lounges seem to be nicer than Hiltons and not as crowded. I also like the guaranteed suite certificates as well. I really like the guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout.

With Marriott, rumor has it the partnership with United is ending in January 2014. If it continues, MR Plat is nice because you can get silver on United, they have lifetime status. Problems with Marriotts is that breakfast isn't an included benefit at all properties, I stay at HGI's a lot and love the hot breakfast, courtyards don't give a free breakfast to Plats.

I think SPG has the best program for people who spend a lot of nights in hotels. You can have lifetime status and a 4 p.m. checkout. I really like how they treat their really loyal guests by giving them priority for upgrades over other Plats and the revolving 24 hour checkout.

Hilton status is a lot easier to acheive than top status with SPG or Marriott or Hyatt so it's no wonder the benefits aren't as good. You can obtain Hilton diamond with just a $40K a year credit card spend and no hilton stays.

You're going for status with multiple hotel chains.

You want status with one chain that has extensive coverage. The battle there is between IHG, HH, and MR. Since you've already stated that you're keeping top status with IHG, there's no need to look at HH or MR as a second program.

For second choice, you can go with a program with thinner coverage. That allows you to go for Hyatt or Starwood. I'd recommend one of those two. I find Hyatt the better of the two chains and would go with them. Both Hyatt and Starwood offer lifetime status, but Starwood is much easier to reach.
However, if you travel to Europe a lot, I'd opt for Starwood over Hyatt - Starwood has denser coverage in Europe.
You can get a Diamond Trial from Hyatt or a Platinum Challenge from Starwood.
And both Hyatt and Starwood are easier to reach top status than Marriott; both require 25 stays or 50 nights. I hit top status with both with 25 stays each.

I wouldn't even consider CC; not impressed with their product.

How can anyone answer this question? Who knows what the awards programs will be like 14 months from now?

Seriously? Your post is not helpful to the OP. For the most part, hotel loyalty programs change at glacial speed.
There's the one-off, like Starwood's major revamp which improved their program or Hilton's huge point devaluation so that Blackrock could wipe a lot of liability off the books prior to the IPO.

Your post is akin to, 'why save for retirement? Who knows how much money I'll need to live on in 15 years and how long I'll live in retirement?' Going through life with no plans leads to poor results.

I totally agree with this point. Following Hilton's MEGA-SUPER-UBER devaluation, I got "matched" from HH Diamond and MR Platinum to CC Gold--they would not give me their top status. For the most part, their properties are extremely average (including Europe where there are far more).

One thing I forget to mention previously--MR is now apparently not offering any status matches--so you'd need to be a Silver from credit card or Gold if you have UA 1K until you reach Platinum.

I appreciate the feedback. I did not consider the lifetime achievements so that is something to add to the decision. Just to be clear - I plan on keeping IHG Ambassador and not maintain IHG as my primary program, so I am looking for something new. I agree that CC is not ideal and that HY and SPG lack the property density in the area that I will be traveling to. So that leaves HH and MR. I'm a bit surprised that most of the feedback supported MR and very little to HH.

Since I have Gold with UA, I will maintain Gold Status with MR regardless, but I will need stays to maintain Gold with HH unless I get a card or something. The lifetime award could be the tipping point, but that will take me 7 - 10 years to earn and as it was pointed out, it might not be offered by that time.

I appreciate it, I'm thinking MR will be the one, but I have another month before I start booking for January. But on the other hand HH Dia looks so easy to get....

Thanks,

Mike

In the world of never-ending devaluations--MR recently changed its lifetime requirement. For platinum, it reduced the requirement from 1,000 to 750 nights. Great for those who do not have it--devalued for those who do.

So if anything, Marriott moved in the direction of making the lifetime opportunity easier to achieve. Also to consider--Marriott is arguably one of the worlds most ethical companies, grounded in the integrity of its founding family. Hilton? Well not so much....

So I would be on the MR lifetime opportunity still being there in 10 years time.

I loved IHG RA - but with the diminishing benefits (more and more properties losing club access and going to choice) and with the 65 qualifying number I said enough of that.

For me I'll maintain Hilton Diamond (as much as I hate Hilton's devaluation schemes, prem room scam, and loss of DSA, and treatment of me as a nobody) due to property coverage.

I'll also keep Hyatt Diamond - though admittedly this will only be my second year as Hyatt member. I really like the 4pm checkout, and club access has been better than Hilton.

Lastly, will keep IHG plat. This is easy with the CC - but still love IHG for its ease of earning nights via pts and the surprising plat recognition when I get it.

I am going to choose Marriott, more choices for me

If you still have status with Delta you should give SPG a shot as well. Whilst I have no status with SPG, I have received some nice upgrades and no problem with a 4 p.m. checkout with the Delta crossover program.

Good suggestion, I'll look into it.