VSLover

i just spent six nights at a ren in colorado. this was my first ren experience despite 160ish nights in bonvoy hotels last year and similar the years before. 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 that left me wondering what the purpose of the ren brand is?

• no lounge (or is this normal?)
• apathetic or lacking service (perhaps a US thing these days)
• room furnishings ok but not well considered--i was boiling in bed the first two nights before realizing the duvet cover is 100% polyester which is like sleeping under a plastic sheet only to be shocked thats what they sell online!

so i just dont "get" where this brand is meant to sit. i went into it thinking it was more aligned with the westin but i'd take a westin any day over the ren!

DJ_Iceman

You're right that it's pretty much aligned with Westin--I'm sure when Marriott and Starwood were competitors that they were seen as rival brands.

What's interesting is that I have given up on Westin completely while Renaissance is one of my preferred brands. Of course it's all probably location specific, but after a few consistently underwhelming stays I've written off Westin. So I guess we balance each other out!

GrayAnderson

Yes, they are?

Horace

Marriott acquired the Renaissance Hotel Group in 1997. The acquisition doubled Marriott's international presence. The former Ramada Renaissance and Stouffer hotels were the original core of Marriott's Renaissance Hotels brand. (The acquisition also included Ramada International, but not Ramada in the United States. Marriott divested Ramada International.)

The Renaissance Hotels properties were positioned similarly to Marriott's core Marriott Hotels brand, but they were less consistent. Marriott turned the lack of consistency into a strength by stressing their individuality and distinctiveness.

Long before Marriott launched Autograph Collection, Marriott sometimes used Renaissance for hotels that had their own distinct histories and personalities, such as the Mayflower in DC and the Blackstone in Chicago (both of which have now moved to Autograph Collection).

Long before Marriott had 30 brands, Marriott used the Renaissance brand for new full-service hotels in cities that already had Marriott-branded hotels.

Long before Marriott had Delta Hotels as a conversion brand, Renaissance served as a conversion brand for existing hotels that were not a good match for the Marriott Hotels brand (although Renaissance seemed to have higher standard then Delta Hotels).

Renaissance is still a brand that's all over the place.

That said, I've had good experiences at Renaissance Hotels. In my mind, it's a notch above the Marriott Hotels brand.

ElevatorEnthusiast

Westin>Marriott>Renaissance in my mind, but of course, every property is different. There are good Renaissance properties out there, but it's inconsistent, as others have pointed out.

seanp7

As always, there are exceptions - Renaissance S�o Paulo is outstanding, for example.

khabah

Renaissance was repositioned by Marriott, pre-Starwood, to target guests looking for more creative experiences and local flavor in their stays so they allowed RH properties to be more colorful and eclectic in their d�cor, and installed �Navigators� [concierges] in their lobbies who are supposed to have insider knowledge to events and sights where the hotels are located. In essence, Renaissance was pitched against Le M�ridien and their target demographic of the well-traveled, creatively-minded guest.

In my opinion, Renaissance is all over the place with a portfolio of hotels that are either stodgy and very dated, or heavily designed to the point of trying too hard - and with weak general programming. I felt that with the Starwood acquisition, Marriott should have worked to capitalize on the stronger, richer Le M�ridien brand name [with its airline heritage, mid-century modern design, Sparkling Hour, Au Soleil events during the summer, La F�te events during the winter] and worked with owners to slide Renaissance properties over to Le M�ridien or other brands, and eventually work to shut Renaissance down� but since Renaissance is legacy Marriott as opposed to acquired, we�ll sooner see the stronger legacy Starwood brands killed off in the future or watered down to a point of mediocrity below Marriott�s original stable [illustration: Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis, EDITION and W].

khabah

BR787

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:

It's not a Renaissance thing, it's a US thing.

Isochronous

London St Pancras is nice.
Barcelona had one of the nicest hotel breakfasts I've been to in Europe.
The Koh Samui resort is also really nice.

krispy84

I wouldn�t expect a polyester duvet cover in anything but the very cheapest hotels / motels.

WillBarrett_68

Yet another "I am making a huge generalization based on one stay" thread? OK.

GoldenItalianBoy

Can anyone explain me the reason of this "lack of service in the U.S." (e.g. lounge service, etc) I often read? Is it a money matter?
thanks!!

VSLover

interesting history above, thanks for that! i can also see how it is similar to le meridien, which sadly has been left to flail since the merger.

but i certainly agree on the polyester duvet! even the sheraton moved away from that a few years back!

Radiation Station

Location, location, location. Never judge a brand based on a single stay in North America.

For example, I�ve found that the W brand is excellent in Europe and the Middle East, but utterly naff in the USA.

BearX220

Lack of personnel, low compensation, and owner-operators determined to permanently suppress amenities and services stripped away during the pandemic crisis.