Originally Posted by soitgoes

So, I made my reservation. It's official that availability is exactly identical to reward night availability. The reps have some sort of notation on the account to determine certificate entitlement and redemption. Changes and cancellations are permitted. The certificate is maintained with the original expiration date. Late cancellations are subject to a credit card charge, but the certificate is then available for use again (as with reward nights paid with points).
The certificate does not need to be presented to the hotel.