Hyatt Regency Chicago completes final phase of $200M facelift

Dive Brief:

The Hyatt Regency Chicago, Illinois’ largest hotel that’s situated along the Chicago River, has completed the final phase of its $200 million renovation project, according to a Wednesday news release.
The third phase specifically focused on revamping and modernizing the hotel’s signature 24,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom, ushering in “a new chapter for the lakeside destination” and better meeting today’s events needs, per the release.
The final phase of renovations caps off a decadeslong project that brought extensive upgrades across the property. It also comes after several Hyatt Regency properties across the country have recently unveiled their own makeovers, including the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center, which earlier this month completed a $70 million refresh.

Dive Insight:

As the “capstone of the transformation,” the third phase unveiled the Hyatt Regency Chicago’s Grand Ballroom with new LED ceiling panels, modernized finishes and updated breakout spaces. The ballroom’s nearly 7,000-square-foot foyer now features built-in registration desks, digital screens for customized branding and a digital feature wall “designed to anchor large-scale events,” per the release.

“Together, these updates deliver a cohesive, high-impact environment designed for today’s large-scale meetings and events,” per the release.

The first phase of renovations, completed in 2023, transformed the property’s guest rooms and suites in the West Tower with “multifunctional layouts and a contemporary, streamlined design.” Meanwhile, phase two, completed in 2024 in tandem with the hotel’s 50th anniversary, modernized the Regency and Crystal Ballrooms and renovated guest rooms in the East Tower, transforming a total of 2,032 rooms.

According to the release, Hyatt Regency Chicago has invested more than $368 million in renovations since 2013, starting with a $168 million lobby and meeting space improvement project.

Other Hyatt Regency revitalizations include the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in September, as well as the $100 million Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Villas, which brought a lagoon and waterfront event venue to the Texas hotel.