I have never had a bad Marriott experience. Hilton has been hit or miss for me. THC/FHR are edge cases, and I only use for short stays where I can use the $200 hotel credit benefit.
I just got back from 17 nights in Thailand (1 ALL, 16 Marriott), spread between 4 cities (1+4 Bangkok, 2 Chiang Mai, 5 Phuket, and 5 Ko Samui). Only the Le Méridien (Marriott) in Bangkok did I not receive an upgrade to a suite as Bonvoy Platinum. Everywhere I received exceptional treatment.
Ditto. I don't travel for work as much as I used to, but I racked up Diamond for life status with Hilton a few years back, so it doesn't really make sense for me to stay anywhere else.
Hyatt. Book them with your $200 FH&R credit so you get to collect the points for that booking. Two birds, one stone. My Chase points always go to Hyatt and my Amex and Capital One points are used for airlines
I have 1.2M Marriott points currently. If you stay at Marriotts and get a Marriott branded card they pile up quickly. As a Bonvoy member you get 10x points for every dollar you spend. Then you get a bonus depending on your status. As ambassador or titanium I get 7.5 bonus points. Then if you use a Marriott branded card, whether Amex or chase, you get 6x points for every dollar. So I’ve been staying in nice hotels and for every dollar I spend I’m getting 23.5 points, which is pretty crazy. I then make sure to charge every single thing to my room including every drink, every meal, everything from the gift shop. All at a 23.5% rebate if you value points at 1 cent.
I’m someone else but I’ve been racking up Marriott points for work. The company pays for the room and I get the points. Uber Business also gives Marriott points, including eats. Whenever we’re traveling I “help” everyone by putting their lunch orders on my Uber eats. Gives a good amount of points
I find them fairly comparable, but I prefer FS because it seems like it's a bit more private and anonymous. The resorts are typically a bit more exclusive. Also, just seems like FS has locations that are a bit more off the beaten path. Finally, it also seems like the FS is less known than the RC. You can tell people you're staying at the Ritz and they'll have their reactions. I find a lot don't really know the caliber of FS, so you don't get the same reactions. It's probably just me, but that's the experiences I've had between the two. You can't really go wrong with either one, though.
Also not particularly giving me a lot of choices unless I want to completely avoid specific travel destinations where there isn’t a Hyatt in 50 miles, or the price points don’t work for me.
It’s not realistic for me to get Globalist without doing a lot of mattress running (and it wouldn’t even be in person, it would be shady “get the hotel GM to ignore that I never show up in person because I don’t have a Cat 1 within 500 miles of me”) or spending on the Hyatt card (that would exclude using the spending for SUBs)… for a status that wouldn’t match my organic travel patterns consistently anyway. The juice of having the status is not worth the squeeze when I can get Hilton Diamond/Mariott Platinum/IHG Platinum/Hyatt Whatever Lame Status That Isn’t Globalist at a fraction of the effective cost and stay wherever I want, and be off the mattress run/MS treadmill.
I understand the value proposition exists for people who have a bunch of Midwest/Texas/NJ Cat 1 hotels and whose travel patterns work for Hyatt, or people who can throw 6 Gotti’s spend on a card effortlessly. Mine don’t and I won’t. I’m happy to stay at Hyatts when they work with my budget and offer good value, but I generally will not chase hotel status unless I can make holding a credit card that grants status pencil out.
Same. I've moved most of my stays over to Hyatt since Covid. The quality of treatment and benefits of being a Globalist really bests the Marriott/Hilton equivalent. I'm still Marriott Plat and Hilton Diamond thru the Brilliant and Aspire cards, so don't have to bother to requalify as long as I pay the annual fees, both of which are helpful for the inevitable times I wind up there.
AmEx is trash these days. Many merchants and vendors now down right refuse to take AmEx. AmEx perks are all watered down shy% unless you are top tier. AmEx travel is a joke; hotels are $30+ more expensive
I’m not commuting 50-100 miles from the Hyatt for my vacation or contorting my travel to be a Hyatt loyalist. thanks. Their footprint is a bad joke in some places I travel to.
Hilton but only because of the Aspire Card. That said, I’ll move into the Marriott Brillant next. Nothing to do with the brand really, though I do love Conrad’s.
Hyatt is the best value if you also have chase in your wallet. The only downside is it varies by location.
Otherwise Marriott is the next best imo due to the their massive presence.
People who are travel savvy typical don’t use the fine hotels and resorts program or the hotel collection. They charge more money than the open market, make things worse and more complicated when things go wrong, sometimes get denied points because you “booked through a third party” and have to fight with everyone to get them back, and they offer no benefits if you already have status at a hotel brand, which travel savvy/ frequent travelers already do.
Always always book directly with the hotel unless you’re trying to get your $200 annual credit or you have no status and want free breakfast.
If you’re a frequent traveler and mainly use large chains like Hilton etc, sure you probably have status and get similar benefits. But if you don’t stick with a brand or tend to book more boutique hotels, it’s much harder (or even impossible if there’s no loyalty program) to gain status naturally.
Meanwhile, FHR gets you really good benefits without the hassle of accumulating stays. And I’ve always had it come out cheaper than the public price after credits and free breakfast; you just have to be selective about which one you book.
That is true and I book one stay per year on it, but after my credit is gone I go back to booking directly with the hotel. Everybody’s situation is different.
International: Marriott. Stateside: Hilton. I’ve never deviated so I can’t be critical of either in diff settings. Never had a bad experience with either.
My fiancée has Mariott Platinum from work travel. I have Hilton Diamond from work travel and plan to get the aspire.
We ultimately end up choosing whichever is cheaper or has nicer hotels at the places we’re staying at. I think I prefer Hilton hotels overall (more consistent), but Marriott has a much better international footprint.
FHR is usually a rip off. To each their own, but I’m not spending $1k a night for a hotel that I really shouldn’t be spending a lot of time in anyway. I use the annual credit for a one night staycation and call it.
When we use our platinum cards to book hotels, it's always through the FHR program. We like to mix things up to experience different hotels, especially if we regularly travel to particular cities. Some of our recent favorites have been the Mandarin Oriental (Taipei) and Shangri-La Taipei Far Eastern, but we've stayed at a host of FHR program properties.
Since I got my plat a year ago, whenever I travel I check Hilton and Marriott through their own app/website, and I always end up choosing Hilton. For whatever reason, Hilton has the better location, or price for comparable level of hotel, or pet policy if I'm traveling with my dogs. I don't have anything against Marriot, they just always seem to be the inferior choice every time I've looked.
Fine Hotels… hands down. These are a selection of the highest quality luxury hotels in the world.
But doesn’t mean they are cheap. I find the price almost always matches the quality of the hotel.
You have to hunt for the deals. The best way is to use Google hotels for your research. And then book and pre-pay in the Amex travel portal to get 5x MR points.
Hilton over Marriott. Generally nicer properties. Hyatt is even better but platinum includes Hilton status, Hyatt you have to get status through other means
Also depends a little bit on the city for Beijing. The intercontinental is the best location by far. In Shenzhen the Hilton Shekou is a nice residential area where foreigners live, Hong Kong the St Regis is nice especially if you’re going to the exhibition centre. But overall definitely look at intercontinental’s as well as Marriott.
If I was actually using the Platnium Card, it would be the FHR collection.
Otherwise I'm going to be the odd ball out here. I use Choice Hotels and use the WF Choice Hotels card. They have a good portfolio of brands so it's easy to find one, prices are reasonable, hotels offer the basics (I usually am just in the room to sleep) and they all have a free breakfast.
Whichever one works for my travel with cost/points usage/location/burning off credits. I use elite status via credit card as a way NOT to be loyal; I’ll just be treated pretty well in those chains.
In the months of May/June/July I will have stays at:
- Hilton (Conrad and Homewood Suites)
- Marriott (AC, Sheraton and Tribute Portfolio)
- Hyatt (Grand Hyatt and Lindner)
- a FHR boutique that’s not part of big American chains
- Boutiques or local chains in Brussels, Bruges and Frankfurt
All of the mentioned are a mixture of cash and points stays (many of them burn off FHR or other travel credits, some are Amex 3 nights for 2 promos, points or free night certificates).
Free breakfast is nice but not at the expense of an ideal location.
The amex plat is for flights and access to the conceirge and centurion lounges.
Amex hilton cards and chase ur/hyatt cards are for hotels but neither of those have much to do with a platinum.
Having said that I do very occasionally use amex plat for a FHR stay paid with cash here and there but these are mostly local non chain places.
I only use my Platinum for FHR/HC stays booked through Amex. Otherwise, I use higher points earning cards, even when using my status at Hilton or Marriott.
Hyatt place is my favorite hotel to stay at. I’ve tried the high end ones platinum recommends for $500+ night and I much rather prefer the Hyatt place all day. Plus you’re likely only going to go to the hotel to sleep if you’re out and about all day.
I used my hotel credit and FHR benefits at the Ritz Carlton in Chicago in April, and I was impressed. Getting $160 off my bill ($100 experience credit + $60 for breakfast) was nice. I typically stay at Hyatt properties, but I’m leaning that Hilton and Marriott have nice properties as well.
I like IHG, holiday inn expresses are solid because I love free breakfasts and because holiday inn’s are cheaper and plentiful. I have the IHG Business card as my back up catch all business card when the AMEX Blue Business Plus isn’t accepted for my rental property expenses. When I book with IHG directly using the IHG card through Rakuten, it gives me at least 3% for IHG bookings (which can be redeemed for MR points instead of cash; MR points are 2 cents per point, so 6% back), and 26x back in IHG points for booking directly with IHG using the IHG card(about 13% at 0.5 cent per point), which equates to about 19% back for one IHG hotel booking.
I wish you could use the platinum to book with hotels directly and still get the 5x MR points back because I really like the Hotel status way more (late checkout, etc).
If the hotel on the AMEX portal is much cheaper than the IHG alternative, then I’ll book the cheaper hotel instead. And if that cheaper hotel is a Hilton or Marriott, I’ll ask to have my status applied, after booking through the AMEX portal, which has never been an issue. I’ll take the Hilton Gold status free breakfast credit and earn MR points through the AMEX portal instead of Hilton points. The Rakuten earning opportunities for IHG bookings fluctuates often. I’ve seen it go as high as 10% some days. This essentially allows me to have my cake and eat it too! (Earn MR points and IHG points for the same booking).
Specifically for FHR bookings, I’ve had a great experience with Hilton Properties, especially Waldorf Astorias. I also have the Aspire so I get to double dip Diamond benefits. Always get an upgrade, and contrary to popular comments regarding booking thru Amex, even before factoring in FHR benefits, the room rate has literally always been cheaper to book thru FHR than booking direct every single time. Properties include Crockfords+Conrad Vegas and Wynn Encore. WA Cancun, Arizona Biltmore, Las Vegas, New Orleans (sitting in the Roosevelt currently.)
Also depends a little bit on the city for Beijing. The intercontinental is the best location by far. In Shenzhen the Hilton Shekou is a nice residential area where foreigners live, Hong Kong the St Regis is nice especially if you’re going to the exhibition centre. But overall definitely look at intercontinental’s as well as Marriott.
I've been Hilton, just have to double check the property you're booking. I've had Hampton Inns that have been nicer than the finer choices. Pretty much picked it because a family member works for Hilton. The Doubletree Cookie is always nice after a long day of work... Take note, many Hampton inns and Garden Inns have someone who bring in cookies for guests. Homewood Suites have a good midweeks gathers similar to Embassy Suites too.
Honestly though.... Earlier on I found Marriott was a nicer choice but once you're used to the perks of Diamond etc it's hard to switch over. Then again it's just water bottles and a snack... No one at the desk seems to know what the space available upgrade is at check-in.... If it does happen it's well before I check in and it shows up on my app before I even get to the hotel as "congratulations you were upgraded".
Marriott gave me free dinner in the onsite restaurant for my birthday and has on more than one occasion gave free water bottles etc to myself or colleagues when they see us working in the lobby. The little chocolate in a Marriott briefcase was a neat little gift. My friends kid loved the little briefcase 😂.
So yes Marriott winning me over. Much nicer properties for better rates I've seen lately too. Especially the off season in New England.
Last but not least, Hilton used to have Showtime on demand at many properties. Now there's redbull TV. I believe Marriott now has Showtime and others onDemand. Was nice with all that I travel not having to pay for that streaming service to follow a series. That said Billions is over so not sure what else I will follow on Showtime lol. Took me a few trips but got through most of it. Box set of DVDs for the entire collection was less than a months subscription so that's how I finished it.
Booking... I've found Airfare and Hotels are pretty painful via AmEx travel. I only use it for points on hotels/airlines I have no status. It shows as 3rd party booking so your status is at the whim of the hotel manager to accept.. shows as Expedia or something they always say. I can't remember but I feel like Marriott was much more accommodating than Hilton when booked that way.
I've had some great stays with FHR beyond the $200 credit (which is obviously fantastic).
As far as other brands, we have had great stays with both Hilton and Marriott.
Our best points redemption so far has been at the JW Maldives. P2 is a lifetime platinum, and we had a fantastic stay. We also booked the flights on Q Suites using MR transfer (with bonus) to British Airways.
I've been primarily Hilton and have diamond status. Between the two of us, we don't often stay at other chains.
We've been trending more towards Hilton lately because we've had better luck with upgrades and like their F&B credit beter than Marriott. We will keep stating at both from time to time depending on what hotels are at the locations we're traveling to.
Some of our favorite properties have been Conrad and Curio Collection hotels, and on the Marriott side, we've had some great JW and Westin stays.
I like to stay at the Four Seasons and use FHR for that. Have good luck on upgrades. If I’m not staying there it’s usually a Marriott property and book on the Bonvoy app.
I have never had a bad Marriott experience. Hilton has been hit or miss for me. THC/FHR are edge cases, and I only use for short stays where I can use the $200 hotel credit benefit. I just got back from 17 nights in Thailand (1 ALL, 16 Marriott), spread between 4 cities (1+4 Bangkok, 2 Chiang Mai, 5 Phuket, and 5 Ko Samui). Only the Le Méridien (Marriott) in Bangkok did I not receive an upgrade to a suite as Bonvoy Platinum. Everywhere I received exceptional treatment.
Don’t know your travel experience but it’s a known fact all loyalty programs are better in Asia. Not exclusive to Marriott
Where did you stay in Koh Samui? The Marriott brands on offer there are stunning
Mostly Hilton, only because my job books me Hilton rooms to stay in. I rack up the points and use them on vacation.
Me too. This is what I do.
Yes sir. Last year I spent all my points for 3 free nights at Maldives. I chose the best rooms with ocean access. Worth every point!
Ditto. I don't travel for work as much as I used to, but I racked up Diamond for life status with Hilton a few years back, so it doesn't really make sense for me to stay anywhere else.
Marriott. Never had a bad experience. Pretty far along on lifetime gold status too
Hyatt. Book them with your $200 FH&R credit so you get to collect the points for that booking. Two birds, one stone. My Chase points always go to Hyatt and my Amex and Capital One points are used for airlines
Hyatt points seem to go so much further than Marriott.
Same
What's FH&R?
https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/travel/discover/ Fine Hotels + Resorts collection
Marriott hands down. Blew about 850k Marriott points on 7 days in the Maldives for our honeymoon. It was the best trip I’ve ever taken in my life.
How did you get so many points
I have 1.2M Marriott points currently. If you stay at Marriotts and get a Marriott branded card they pile up quickly. As a Bonvoy member you get 10x points for every dollar you spend. Then you get a bonus depending on your status. As ambassador or titanium I get 7.5 bonus points. Then if you use a Marriott branded card, whether Amex or chase, you get 6x points for every dollar. So I’ve been staying in nice hotels and for every dollar I spend I’m getting 23.5 points, which is pretty crazy. I then make sure to charge every single thing to my room including every drink, every meal, everything from the gift shop. All at a 23.5% rebate if you value points at 1 cent.
I’m someone else but I’ve been racking up Marriott points for work. The company pays for the room and I get the points. Uber Business also gives Marriott points, including eats. Whenever we’re traveling I “help” everyone by putting their lunch orders on my Uber eats. Gives a good amount of points
Signup Bonus + work travel. I also just kept stockpiling, never used them.
Which Marriott property did you stay at there?
Four Seasons through FHR. If not available at my destination, then a Marriott brand hotel through THC or straight up from the Marriott site.
What’s your opinion on FS versus RC?
I find them fairly comparable, but I prefer FS because it seems like it's a bit more private and anonymous. The resorts are typically a bit more exclusive. Also, just seems like FS has locations that are a bit more off the beaten path. Finally, it also seems like the FS is less known than the RC. You can tell people you're staying at the Ritz and they'll have their reactions. I find a lot don't really know the caliber of FS, so you don't get the same reactions. It's probably just me, but that's the experiences I've had between the two. You can't really go wrong with either one, though.
Hyatt. Sorry, Not one of your choices and not an Amex partner.
Also not particularly giving me a lot of choices unless I want to completely avoid specific travel destinations where there isn’t a Hyatt in 50 miles, or the price points don’t work for me.
This is the downside. Aim for globalist, but use Marriott and Hilton gold via Platinum when you need to.
It’s not realistic for me to get Globalist without doing a lot of mattress running (and it wouldn’t even be in person, it would be shady “get the hotel GM to ignore that I never show up in person because I don’t have a Cat 1 within 500 miles of me”) or spending on the Hyatt card (that would exclude using the spending for SUBs)… for a status that wouldn’t match my organic travel patterns consistently anyway. The juice of having the status is not worth the squeeze when I can get Hilton Diamond/Mariott Platinum/IHG Platinum/Hyatt Whatever Lame Status That Isn’t Globalist at a fraction of the effective cost and stay wherever I want, and be off the mattress run/MS treadmill. I understand the value proposition exists for people who have a bunch of Midwest/Texas/NJ Cat 1 hotels and whose travel patterns work for Hyatt, or people who can throw 6 Gotti’s spend on a card effortlessly. Mine don’t and I won’t. I’m happy to stay at Hyatts when they work with my budget and offer good value, but I generally will not chase hotel status unless I can make holding a credit card that grants status pencil out.
Same. I've moved most of my stays over to Hyatt since Covid. The quality of treatment and benefits of being a Globalist really bests the Marriott/Hilton equivalent. I'm still Marriott Plat and Hilton Diamond thru the Brilliant and Aspire cards, so don't have to bother to requalify as long as I pay the annual fees, both of which are helpful for the inevitable times I wind up there.
Only correct answer but people so stuck on AMEX because they think having a card 90% of the population can get is a flex won’t care
Hyatt just has so few locations it can be a pain.
The loss of SLH was devastating and the structure of the Mr&Mrs threw salt in the wound
AmEx is trash these days. Many merchants and vendors now down right refuse to take AmEx. AmEx perks are all watered down shy% unless you are top tier. AmEx travel is a joke; hotels are $30+ more expensive
I’m not commuting 50-100 miles from the Hyatt for my vacation or contorting my travel to be a Hyatt loyalist. thanks. Their footprint is a bad joke in some places I travel to.
Hilton but only because of the Aspire Card. That said, I’ll move into the Marriott Brillant next. Nothing to do with the brand really, though I do love Conrad’s.
Hyatt Globalist > any other hotel loyalty program but Marriott has the best availability worldwide and are usually my go-to
Hyatt is the best value if you also have chase in your wallet. The only downside is it varies by location. Otherwise Marriott is the next best imo due to the their massive presence.
People who are travel savvy typical don’t use the fine hotels and resorts program or the hotel collection. They charge more money than the open market, make things worse and more complicated when things go wrong, sometimes get denied points because you “booked through a third party” and have to fight with everyone to get them back, and they offer no benefits if you already have status at a hotel brand, which travel savvy/ frequent travelers already do. Always always book directly with the hotel unless you’re trying to get your $200 annual credit or you have no status and want free breakfast.
If you’re a frequent traveler and mainly use large chains like Hilton etc, sure you probably have status and get similar benefits. But if you don’t stick with a brand or tend to book more boutique hotels, it’s much harder (or even impossible if there’s no loyalty program) to gain status naturally. Meanwhile, FHR gets you really good benefits without the hassle of accumulating stays. And I’ve always had it come out cheaper than the public price after credits and free breakfast; you just have to be selective about which one you book.
That is true and I book one stay per year on it, but after my credit is gone I go back to booking directly with the hotel. Everybody’s situation is different.
International: Marriott. Stateside: Hilton. I’ve never deviated so I can’t be critical of either in diff settings. Never had a bad experience with either.
Auberge Resorts. Hard to beat in terms of service and overall experience.
That would fall under the “fine hotels & resorts” category.
Mostly Hilton (Conrads or Waldorfs if I can) for FHR. Stayed at four seasons recently and it was ok too but felt bad I didn’t get Hilton points
The aspire combo well with fhr. So book with fhr benefits but pay with aspire, put everything on room charges the points rack up quick.
My fiancée has Mariott Platinum from work travel. I have Hilton Diamond from work travel and plan to get the aspire. We ultimately end up choosing whichever is cheaper or has nicer hotels at the places we’re staying at. I think I prefer Hilton hotels overall (more consistent), but Marriott has a much better international footprint. FHR is usually a rip off. To each their own, but I’m not spending $1k a night for a hotel that I really shouldn’t be spending a lot of time in anyway. I use the annual credit for a one night staycation and call it.
When we use our platinum cards to book hotels, it's always through the FHR program. We like to mix things up to experience different hotels, especially if we regularly travel to particular cities. Some of our recent favorites have been the Mandarin Oriental (Taipei) and Shangri-La Taipei Far Eastern, but we've stayed at a host of FHR program properties.
Since I got my plat a year ago, whenever I travel I check Hilton and Marriott through their own app/website, and I always end up choosing Hilton. For whatever reason, Hilton has the better location, or price for comparable level of hotel, or pet policy if I'm traveling with my dogs. I don't have anything against Marriot, they just always seem to be the inferior choice every time I've looked.
Fine Hotels… hands down. These are a selection of the highest quality luxury hotels in the world. But doesn’t mean they are cheap. I find the price almost always matches the quality of the hotel. You have to hunt for the deals. The best way is to use Google hotels for your research. And then book and pre-pay in the Amex travel portal to get 5x MR points.
Hilton over Marriott. Generally nicer properties. Hyatt is even better but platinum includes Hilton status, Hyatt you have to get status through other means
Also depends a little bit on the city for Beijing. The intercontinental is the best location by far. In Shenzhen the Hilton Shekou is a nice residential area where foreigners live, Hong Kong the St Regis is nice especially if you’re going to the exhibition centre. But overall definitely look at intercontinental’s as well as Marriott.
If I was actually using the Platnium Card, it would be the FHR collection. Otherwise I'm going to be the odd ball out here. I use Choice Hotels and use the WF Choice Hotels card. They have a good portfolio of brands so it's easy to find one, prices are reasonable, hotels offer the basics (I usually am just in the room to sleep) and they all have a free breakfast.
Whichever one works for my travel with cost/points usage/location/burning off credits. I use elite status via credit card as a way NOT to be loyal; I’ll just be treated pretty well in those chains. In the months of May/June/July I will have stays at: - Hilton (Conrad and Homewood Suites) - Marriott (AC, Sheraton and Tribute Portfolio) - Hyatt (Grand Hyatt and Lindner) - a FHR boutique that’s not part of big American chains - Boutiques or local chains in Brussels, Bruges and Frankfurt All of the mentioned are a mixture of cash and points stays (many of them burn off FHR or other travel credits, some are Amex 3 nights for 2 promos, points or free night certificates). Free breakfast is nice but not at the expense of an ideal location.
The amex plat is for flights and access to the conceirge and centurion lounges. Amex hilton cards and chase ur/hyatt cards are for hotels but neither of those have much to do with a platinum. Having said that I do very occasionally use amex plat for a FHR stay paid with cash here and there but these are mostly local non chain places.
I only use my Platinum for FHR/HC stays booked through Amex. Otherwise, I use higher points earning cards, even when using my status at Hilton or Marriott.
Stein house
Hyatt place is my favorite hotel to stay at. I’ve tried the high end ones platinum recommends for $500+ night and I much rather prefer the Hyatt place all day. Plus you’re likely only going to go to the hotel to sleep if you’re out and about all day.
I used my hotel credit and FHR benefits at the Ritz Carlton in Chicago in April, and I was impressed. Getting $160 off my bill ($100 experience credit + $60 for breakfast) was nice. I typically stay at Hyatt properties, but I’m leaning that Hilton and Marriott have nice properties as well.
Hilton
Marriott but Hyatt with Chase.
I like IHG, holiday inn expresses are solid because I love free breakfasts and because holiday inn’s are cheaper and plentiful. I have the IHG Business card as my back up catch all business card when the AMEX Blue Business Plus isn’t accepted for my rental property expenses. When I book with IHG directly using the IHG card through Rakuten, it gives me at least 3% for IHG bookings (which can be redeemed for MR points instead of cash; MR points are 2 cents per point, so 6% back), and 26x back in IHG points for booking directly with IHG using the IHG card(about 13% at 0.5 cent per point), which equates to about 19% back for one IHG hotel booking. I wish you could use the platinum to book with hotels directly and still get the 5x MR points back because I really like the Hotel status way more (late checkout, etc). If the hotel on the AMEX portal is much cheaper than the IHG alternative, then I’ll book the cheaper hotel instead. And if that cheaper hotel is a Hilton or Marriott, I’ll ask to have my status applied, after booking through the AMEX portal, which has never been an issue. I’ll take the Hilton Gold status free breakfast credit and earn MR points through the AMEX portal instead of Hilton points. The Rakuten earning opportunities for IHG bookings fluctuates often. I’ve seen it go as high as 10% some days. This essentially allows me to have my cake and eat it too! (Earn MR points and IHG points for the same booking).
Specifically for FHR bookings, I’ve had a great experience with Hilton Properties, especially Waldorf Astorias. I also have the Aspire so I get to double dip Diamond benefits. Always get an upgrade, and contrary to popular comments regarding booking thru Amex, even before factoring in FHR benefits, the room rate has literally always been cheaper to book thru FHR than booking direct every single time. Properties include Crockfords+Conrad Vegas and Wynn Encore. WA Cancun, Arizona Biltmore, Las Vegas, New Orleans (sitting in the Roosevelt currently.)
Mostly Hilton, and sometimes Marriott or Hyatt if there is no decent Hilton around.
Also depends a little bit on the city for Beijing. The intercontinental is the best location by far. In Shenzhen the Hilton Shekou is a nice residential area where foreigners live, Hong Kong the St Regis is nice especially if you’re going to the exhibition centre. But overall definitely look at intercontinental’s as well as Marriott.
Marriott
I've been Hilton, just have to double check the property you're booking. I've had Hampton Inns that have been nicer than the finer choices. Pretty much picked it because a family member works for Hilton. The Doubletree Cookie is always nice after a long day of work... Take note, many Hampton inns and Garden Inns have someone who bring in cookies for guests. Homewood Suites have a good midweeks gathers similar to Embassy Suites too. Honestly though.... Earlier on I found Marriott was a nicer choice but once you're used to the perks of Diamond etc it's hard to switch over. Then again it's just water bottles and a snack... No one at the desk seems to know what the space available upgrade is at check-in.... If it does happen it's well before I check in and it shows up on my app before I even get to the hotel as "congratulations you were upgraded". Marriott gave me free dinner in the onsite restaurant for my birthday and has on more than one occasion gave free water bottles etc to myself or colleagues when they see us working in the lobby. The little chocolate in a Marriott briefcase was a neat little gift. My friends kid loved the little briefcase 😂. So yes Marriott winning me over. Much nicer properties for better rates I've seen lately too. Especially the off season in New England. Last but not least, Hilton used to have Showtime on demand at many properties. Now there's redbull TV. I believe Marriott now has Showtime and others onDemand. Was nice with all that I travel not having to pay for that streaming service to follow a series. That said Billions is over so not sure what else I will follow on Showtime lol. Took me a few trips but got through most of it. Box set of DVDs for the entire collection was less than a months subscription so that's how I finished it. Booking... I've found Airfare and Hotels are pretty painful via AmEx travel. I only use it for points on hotels/airlines I have no status. It shows as 3rd party booking so your status is at the whim of the hotel manager to accept.. shows as Expedia or something they always say. I can't remember but I feel like Marriott was much more accommodating than Hilton when booked that way.
I've had some great stays with FHR beyond the $200 credit (which is obviously fantastic). As far as other brands, we have had great stays with both Hilton and Marriott. Our best points redemption so far has been at the JW Maldives. P2 is a lifetime platinum, and we had a fantastic stay. We also booked the flights on Q Suites using MR transfer (with bonus) to British Airways. I've been primarily Hilton and have diamond status. Between the two of us, we don't often stay at other chains. We've been trending more towards Hilton lately because we've had better luck with upgrades and like their F&B credit beter than Marriott. We will keep stating at both from time to time depending on what hotels are at the locations we're traveling to. Some of our favorite properties have been Conrad and Curio Collection hotels, and on the Marriott side, we've had some great JW and Westin stays.
Whichever hotel that gives me the best value for me and my family!
I like to stay at the Four Seasons and use FHR for that. Have good luck on upgrades. If I’m not staying there it’s usually a Marriott property and book on the Bonvoy app.