Arizona
- After an extensive property renovation in 2010, the Chandler Center for the Arts updated its tech systems this year and now has Wi-Fi available throughout the facility with bandwidth capable of supporting up to 654 simultaneous users. The turntable auditorium with rotating stages can be divided into three separate spaces; a 350-seat intimate theatre, a 250-seat recital hall and a 1,000-seat theatre, which can all be used simultaneously. Also available to groups are a 2,450-square-foot thrust stage, a rehearsal stage, dressing facilities for over 100 performers, a full orchestra shell and a 2,000-square-foot exhibition hall. For more information call 480.782.2680 or visit www.chandlercenter.org.
California
- After two years of renovation, Hotel Bel-Air unveiled 12 new guest rooms with canyon views and private infinity-edge spa pools in late 2011, bringing the room total to 103. The hotel offers 12,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space. The Garden Ballroom was redesigned and can accommodate up to 350 guests and an executive boardroom seats 14. Chef Wolfgang Puck will oversee beverage and dining operations at the expanded outdoor bar and restaurant serving local California cuisine. The hotel’s iconic swans remained in their lake throughout the renovation and now enjoy a water-conserving circulation pump. For more information call 310.472.1211 or visit www.hotelbelair.com.
- Vibrant and colorful, yet still desert-inspired, The Saguaro, opened in Scottsdale in November. The 194-room hotel offers 10,000 square feet of meeting space. Receptions of up to 100 can gather around the circular pool, and the 3,000-square-foot Anchusa Ballroom can accommodate 200 people and features six breakout spaces. For more information, call 866-799-0531 or visit www.thesaguaro.com.
- Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe is in the midst of a $20 million renovation that will modernize the hotel’s 422 guest rooms and refurbish the Sierra Café restaurant. Five-hundred thousand dollars will be spent to update the property’s 80,000 square feet of meeting space, which includes seven meeting rooms and a lakeside ballroom. Groups can take advantage of outdoor team-building activities and visit the Stillwater luxury spa. Completion is planned for April 30. For more information, call 775.832.1234 or visit www.hyattregencylaketahoe.com
- Malibu and Vine, a new wine bar and event space at the Malibu Golf Club, recently opened as part of the Malibu Wine Trail. In addition to proximity to the 18-hole public course, the venue offers a restaurant and group space, including a large manicured lawn that seats 600 and a more intimate reception area with fire pits that seats 300. The two spaces are connected by a trestle walkway. Private indoor dining and meeting spaces are also available. For more information, call 818.889.6680 or visit www.malibuandvine.com.
- A all-encompassing, $50 million makeover of the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad was completed in November. All 474 guest rooms were updated and the newly named Coastal Events Center was completely refurbished. The 400-acre campus offers 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting space designed with technology and efficiency in mind, and new meeting planner suites were added. The resort also has a 43,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor spa. For more information, call 760.438.9111 or visit www.lacosta.com.
Hawaii
- Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa unveiled its $13 million renovation, showcasing two new destination restaurants and updated common areas, poolside lounges and decks. The Oahu resort has 19,500 square feet of function space, 2,050 square feet of prefunction space, 9,800 square feet of exhibit space and 1,229 guest rooms. The property’s newest restaurant, Japengo, opened its doors in October and serves Pacific Rim cuisine including rolled-to-order sushi and custom cocktails. For more information, call 808.923.1234 or visit www.waikiki.hyatt.com.
Washington
- Construction is slated to begin early this year on a $110 million development project that will bring the Tri-Cities region’s first Embassy Suites to Richland. The new 165-room hotel will be wine-themed, reflecting the growth of the local wine industry. Property plans include a vineyard, a full-service restaurant, a 12,000-square-foot conference center and a 20,000-square-foot outdoor events garden. The two-year development plan also calls for a nearby extended-stay hotel adjacent to the Horn Rapids Golf Course. For more information, visit www.hiltonworldwide.com.