Fresh off an extensive $1 million renovation of its lobby, meeting planners who desire the option of holding a self-contained meeting amongst the vast recreation opportunities available in the Palm Springs, Calif., area will find a complex full of options at Indian Wells’ Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Villas and Spa.
Highlights of the property include a standalone conference center and seven pools that can pull double duty as reception areas. Other recreation options include its truly tranquil Agua Serena Spa and the 36-hole Indian Wells Golf Resort (along with the services of a group coordinator for tournaments).
According to Joe Alegre, director of sales and marketing for the property, its nearly 80 premium rooms are a huge selling point to groups. After all, what delegate doesn’t relish the suite life?
“We have 26 penthouse suites and 43 villas,” Alegre says. “That’s 79 premium room types that we have to play with in a 530-room property, which makes us flexible for the VIPs with groups, the families with groups or golf groups. There are plenty of high-end accommodations to go around, so you won’t find a lot of competition.”
Being located next to the Indian Wells Golf Resort also presents a plus because groups can take advantage of seamless billing and an impressive, $50 million clubhouse that seemingly belies its designation as a public course.
The big news at the resort is the renovation project that wrapped in early September and resulted in what is essentially a new 6,200-square-foot lobby that provides a gathering place with modular seating under a 20-foot glass chandelier focal point. The reimagined area follows a trend at many properties of creating space for impromptu socializing and meeting areas, as well as a deli for quick snacks and modular pods that provide a new, cutting-edge check-in experience.
According to Alegre, the property’s ownership structure was conducive to good decision-making and execution of the most recent renovation, as well as past improvements, such as the addition of 20 villas in 2008, the recent expansion of the property’s Lantana restaurant and renovations to the penthouse suites and lobby bar.
“We have a very dedicated owner—one person—so we’re not dealing through intermediaries to deal with the renovation,” Alegre says, adding that the owner of the Colorado Rockies, Dick Monford, controls the property. “He knows what the business is all about and wants to make sure this is a premium property, which is why he bought it 20 years ago.”
Certainly not to be overlooked is the Hyatt’s Conference Center and Grand Salon, which is across from the main entrance to the property.
This standalone facility offers a total of 88,000 square feet of function space, including 12,000 square feet of prefunction space, a 20,000-square-foot ballroom and 20,000 square feet of exhibit space. The conference center and its 26 meeting rooms boast individual controls for heat, air-conditioning, sound, electricity and music, as well as phone and electrical outlets. High-speed Internet access is available in all meeting rooms.
According the Alegre, the entire package adds up to an ability to be very flexible in accommodating the individual needs of specific meetings.
“For a property of 530 guest rooms, we can do two to three significant-size meeting groups, the way it’s set up,” he says, mentioning that the pool area—the pools can even change colors if desired—is popular for receptions framed by the nearby mountains and towering palm trees. “It helps us create individual experiences for groups based on their size.”
In keeping with the relaxed sophistication of the Palm Springs Desert community, attendees will be made to feel welcome in an area that has been Hollywood’s playground since, well, there was a Hollywood.
“Once you get to the Hyatt, we try not to be over-the-top,” Alegre says, “but a comfortable spot to play, relax and indulge.”
