I suggest you search the iDine/Rewards Network forum here on FT for "hotel".

The scary thing, based on experiences recounted there, is that you may not get miles either way, given that the hotel part of the program seems way way way less reliable that the dining part of the program. I've never seen a post saying anything to the effect of "I use it all the time and it works great for me", even though lots of people use the dining program with nothing more than occasionally having to send in a copy of a receipt or statement for the missing dine here or there.

(Keep in mind that whether the hotel program is reliable or not is not an AA-specific question, since Rewards Netowrk operates the same hotel program for several other airlines, and so the aggregate experience is valid and useful. Which is why that iDine/Rewards Network forum is the better place to ask questions about the hotel program.)