I decided to stay at a IHG HIX that just opened in mid-2019. It is 7 minutes away from the pair of Marriott properties. At this time it is just 20,000 points, or nearly $200/nt.

After researching the Renaissance further, the junior suite appear to be just a slightly larger normal room. (in square footage). This brings back memories of the Le Meridien Barcelona. It was a fantastic hotel, but with an underwhelming suite night award upgrade. Of the many experiences that have made me say this points game is ridiculous/full of let-downs; this definitely sticks out in my memory, and I was not about to hand out more than $150/nt + whatever points it was (40k?/nt).

The Renaissance has a good location, Switzerland is expensive, and it isn't surprising to see these hotels sold out on points in Lucerne. There are fewer award redemption opportunities in this country (regardless of hotel brand), but the last 5-8 years we would see a ton of additional options come online. I def. appreciate IHG in this scenario.