Spent 250k of my points as I'd burnt most of mine last year, got a Europe Hopper (find it amusing that everyone is getting the hopper awards - good value when changes like this come in... shame its for a year!) as I'd like to stay at a Parisian hotel sometime soon and since they are all (almost...) category 8s now.

Also booked a hotel 11 months in advance (which I'd never normally do) to save 20k points!

Normally I wouldn't bother with the hopper awards, and wouldn't book so far in advance for a destination that doesn't require it.