My one question is...can't we just book now and deal with the points difference at a later date? They acted like they would not even let me book anything.
They cannot book anything for you until the points are finalized. I believe it has to do with the contract or agreement made with each hotel. Also, the collection is not set. It can change year to year, hotels can be added or taken off the collection. They wait til the final points charts are set before being able to book for the members.