Anaheim
- The Anaheim Convention Center officially debuted its Grand Plaza—a 100,000-square-foot outdoor multiuse area—in January. The pedestrian esplanade spans from the entrance to the Anaheim Convention Center and flows between the Hilton Anaheim and the Anaheim Marriott hotels. The new venue includes 151 palm trees, 60 orange trees, a river of light cutting through the plaza, water features that include three fountains, a 48-foot lighted entry monument and more than 80,000 square feet of colored concrete and pavers.
Garden Grove
- Great Wolf Resorts Inc. is developing a Great Wolf Lodge Water Park Resort in Garden Grove that will be located approximately a mile south of Disneyland. The project is slated to break ground this year, and upon completion the resort is expected to include 600 rooms, 30,000 square feet of meeting space and an adjoining waterpark.
Irvine
- Progress continues at the Orange County Great Park, where the focus is currently on completing its Western Sector. Construction is currently under way on the South Lawn Sports & Fitness Complex, a $22.8 million, 30-acre expansion set for completion in summer 2013. Upon its opening, the total active space at Great Park will exceed 230 acres. Among the elements of the new athletic complex are a brand-new, 4,700-square-foot visitor center and extensive sports facilities that include four soccer fields and four basketball courts.
Newport Coast/Beach
- At press time, The Resort at Pelican Hill was scheduled to open its largest event space in early April. The new Golf Pavilion—at more than 7,000 square feet—is an outdoor terrace space created to host golf outings, group events and social affairs for up to 300 guests reception-style, or up to 250 seated guests. For formal affairs, the terrace may be totally enclosed with a spacious canopy. Located at Pelican Hill Golf Club, the Golf Pavilion offers complimentary valet or self-parking.
- The Island Hotel Newport Beach added 6,000 square feet of additional event space. The expansion was completed in late 2012 and saw the property grow its ballroom from 6,630 square feet to 8,710 square feet, and its capacity improve from 450 guests to 600. The ballroom’s foyer expanded from 2,784 square feet to 3,936 square feet. The hotel now has 21,000 total square feet of meeting and event space.
Huntington Beach
- The Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa made sweeping upgrades and redesigns to its three presidential suites, spending more than $1 million to rework the distinctive suites named Andalusian, Beach and Contemporary. The suites are expansive at 2,600 square feet and include fireplaces, wraparound ocean-front balconies, separate dining rooms, beachfront living areas, full wet bars, oversized flat-screen televisions with DVD players and surround sound systems, and whirlpool tubs with views of the Pacific.
