Mr Honu has been a member since the beginning. As you said, it's a no-frills program. They did run a double-points (triple for inactive members) special last fall. It seems that active members get the least promos out of this program, but again, if you have to stay in out-of-the-way places or are on a tight budget, these hotels can be a good choice (pun intended ).
Usually, the points post within two weeks, and the properties I've seen are modest but don't tend to vary so much in quality as, for example, Best Westerns.