I've stayed at the Renaissance Zurich before the pandemic and it was decent. It had a lounge (make shift one?) and the front desk was friendly and upgraded me to a suite. The room was fairly modern and clean.
The St. Pancras Renaissance in London was great too. Also has a lounge (Chambers lounge) but only for Titanium and Ambassador guests.
The majority of US hotels are not great and/or old. Lots of Westins here would disappoint you too. You're correct to think:
Originally Posted by
VSLover
while a vast majority of my stays are in europe, and reading on these boards how the US hotels are so lacking, perhaps it all combined for such a less than stellar experience
It's not a Renaissance thing, it's a US thing.