I booked the Renaissance Izmir on points as part of a 13 night free room-a-thon I organized for my last 90K USAir J redemption taking me to Asia with a stopover in Europe. When I booked the room originally it was a category 3 property. In the months before my stay it was devalued to a category 2. That made the one night stay just 10,000 points. I really wondered what I would find when we arrived as you never know why a property is being downgraded. I had been to Izmir before and I knew where the property was as I had seen it from the boardwalk along the water, but I had never made my way over to it. The hotel is excellent, especially given the value proposition. The standard room was very large, modern and well appointed. We were given an invite to the cocktail reception in the lobby for elites since there is no concierge lounge. The food was nice and the Turkish wine was flowing. As a Platinum we had a free buffet breakfast upstairs in the restaurant and it was a beautiful, delicious and generous offering. The restaurant has outdoor tables with a nice view and is also a great place to go after dark. This property really surprised me. I was not sure what to expect, but I would recommend it without reservation. The desk staff were super helpful and friendly and it was a great experience.