I don't think any of the major chains (Starwood Hotels, Hilton etc.) have a lock
on dive locations per se. I think many have a presence in places where you can do
diving but that's about it - I would want to figure out first where I'd be going or like
to go and see which chain better services those locations. That said, I think you're
probably better off with Starwood or "Hilton Honors" (being the two most likely to
have a presence in such locations), especially world-wide locations. If you're talking
USA/North America only, then maybe the "Best Western" affiliated chains (was that
the one that "escaped" you?) :-)

I used to be a Starwood Prefered "Gold" member but I dumped them (after using up
all my accumulated points of course). I don't bother with hotel memberships anymore.
Starwood and Hilton Hotels are in the much more "expensive" class of hotels and I've
decided that in most cases, the expense is no longer worth it. I don't need that kind of
luxury, and what I really want out of places like that I don't get anymore (high floors,
excellent city or ocean views depending on location).  So the "Holliday Inn" and "Best
Westerns" of the world are good enough for me now - Safe, secure, and at least a TV
in the room and even WiFi potentially.  As long as there's one of them in the general
area, I'll pick them over a Starwood/Hilton Hotel.

 
____________________________________________
Regards,

Arnold

One of the first things you accumulate with frequent travel is a wallet full
of cards for hotels and motels.  You stay at the best place you can afford
that has a vacancy meeting your travel requirements.  You acquire points or
punches or miles or whatever on business and turn in the booty for personal
purposes.  Any completely paid dive vacation would be an abnormally large
amount of accumulated benefits.

I use the Hilton Honors program as it works well for business and
personal travel. The reason I stayed with them is that they will add
the reward points to your account even when reservations/bill are
being comped by one of your suppliers such as sales meetings. Marriott
and some others won't do that.

The Hilton chain also has a selection of suites that are comfortable,
readily available and inexpensive if you're on the road a lot. I use
the Hampton Inns for overnights on the road and the Embassy Suites or
Hiltons for stays of a couple of days or more.

The Embassy Suite at SE 17th St in Ft. Lauderdale is a good place to
stay when in S.Florida.

But as always, YMMV!

 
Rick Simms

"Nothing is interesting if you're not interested."

H.MacInness

Starwood wins a lot of awards and I've been generally happy with
them.  I get a nice discount rate, and as a platinum member, get
upgraded to a junior suite about half the time in business hotels and
have about 80% success in resorts being upgraded from a garden view
rate to deluxe ocean view or junior suite.  Platinum members also get
lounge and gym access and a "welcome amenity" among other perks.

They have a "no blackout date" policy with freebies and often you can
get upgraded: I cashed in 40,000 points for a 5-night stay at the
Westin Grand Cayman one time and was given an ocean view (it was in
June).  That's a $1,500 value.

As for their presence in dive locations, it's OK.  They have hotels in
Key Largo, Key West, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and a new Sheraton Suites
in W. Palm Beach that I'm hoping to try in October (just a few minutes
from Boynton).  For DWG II, I stayed at the Sheraton in Bal Harbour.
I booked the cheapest room available and was given a choice of
upgrades between a deluxe tower room on the top floor, with stunning
views, or a partial ocean-view junior suite.  We took the latter since
it's nice to have the extra floor space for dive gear.  Not too shabby
for $110 a night.

In the Caribbean, they have several Bahamas resorts that I haven't
tried, a couple in Cancun that I have tried (one Westin and one
Sheraton), a really nice Westin in Grand Cayman, a new Westin in St.
Maarten that I haven't tried, and a Westin to be opened in St. Lucia
perhaps next year.  They recently sold the Westin resort in Puerto
Rico to Wyndham but there's a nice Sheraton in San Juan.  Hotel chains
don't really have much presence in the popular Caribbean islands of
Bonaire, Roatan, and Cozumel, except for the Intercontinental
Presidente on the latter island.

Mexico has plenty of Starwood properties on the Pacific side.  Cabo
San Lucas has a great Westin and Sheraton, there's a decent Sheraton
in Puerto Vallarta, and a decent Westin in Ixtapa.

Hawaii has a bunch of Sheratons and a W in Honolulu, a Sheraton and a
Westin on Maui, a Sheraton on Kauai, and a Sheraton in Kona.

Internationally I've done pretty well with Starwood, having stayed at
their beautiful "Luxury Collection" Sheratons in Bali and Phuket.  If
I ever make it back to Tahiti, I'm really looking forward to trying
the Sheratons on Moorea and Bora Bora.