While this can be a very good approach in some situations, it probably won't work as well for the OP in this case. The Hawaii MVCI properties probably have something in the neighborhood of $300-$400/night rates for the lockoff/studio portion of a unit. If the OP wants to actually have a 1, 2 or 3 bedroom unit, the prices rise pretty quickly to the $500, $600 or even more per night rates.

The end result is the OP probably won't get too many nights for their $1000 gift certs. (Also, I think the award is 135K points for a $1000 cheque, but I could be mis-remembering.) If the OP really only needs a regular hotel room, Marriott may have some with much lower per night rates, thus making your suggestion a more appealing one.