GREAT advice! They do indeed have a 4 person capacity room in a fantastic location. Thank you, Iahphx!
I wonder what the SPG or MR trade ratio is for CP points in the CC
Looks like I can't plan too far in advance though:
"Reward nights can be booked ... 60 days in advance ... outside of the U.S. ... 75 days in advance for Elite Platinum members and 100 days for Elite Diamond members"
Yeah, the time limitations are the most annoying feature of the Choice program. And the price of the room (in points) can more around a lot, especially in Europe. You'll find a thread about this unexplained phenomenon in the Choice forum.
I don't know how easy it is to exchange Choice points. In the old days, the room had to be in member's name; not sure if it's changed. They do have a credit card promo that gets you some points; you might want to look into that. You can buy points, and if the room is only 8000, that would still be a bargain.
Having some Choice points on hand is an essential tool in any value-conscious traveller's toolbox. They can be particularly helpful in both the USA and Europe in certain situations. As I mentioned, in the spring there is a Discover America promo where lots of loyalty points are for sale at good prices; Choice is one of the programs worth buying points in. All things being equal, I'd usually rather stay at an SPG property, but sometimes things aren't equal (location, price, room sizes, etc.).