love the responses - keep them coming

how i have it worked out in my head is to use about $400 of it at the spa and then the rest on drinks/food - if i have any leftover (which i imagine i will) then i'll just use them throughout the year - i stay at a marriott just about every week due to my job

i don't mind using the points to save some money on a few things so i'll have more for excursions (eat at the hotel one night and in turn order a nice bottle of wine the next night out somewhere)

it sounds like for 135,000 points i will be receiving 8-10,000 (depending on how close to the $50 increment i am) points back so it might as well be 125,000 for $1000 - since they expire in a year i'll probably just order the reward in december

we have already begun some light planning of things to do / sights to see and it's not even until june 07

pinniped: had the spa/drinks been "free" would you have been more apt to stay around the marriott from time to time?

voiletdog: i'm open to any recommendations - we are both in our low 20s and open to just about anything - cndij sent me some photos from her trip and it looks beautiful

longing4piedmont: thx for answering everything