Hyatt Denver Convention Center Hotel, Denver, USA

The 37 storey, 1,100-room Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center Hotel started construction in June 2003 (14 months after initial planning and approval). Construction costs were estimated at $285.5m. The hotel compliments the Colorado Convention Center which is located opposite the hotel on California Street and 17th Street.

The Hyatt Regency Convention Center Hotel is the group's third hotel in the area; the others are the 511-room Hyatt Regency Denver, located in the downtown business and entertainment district, catering for business travellers, and the Hyatt Regency Tech Center, with 450 rooms, which is the focal point of Denver's technological centre.

The hotel opened in December 2005. Located on the west edge of Denver's panoramic downtown, it offers picturesque views of the Rocky Mountains and the Platte Valley.

HYATT CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL FINANCE

The Denver Convention Center Hotel Authority, an independent government agency, has financed the hotel through tax-exempt revenue bonds. Totalling $367.5m, these bonds cover $285.5m in project expenses and $89m in reserves, insurance, points and fees.

In return, it is estimated that the hotel will provide the city of Denver with 300,000 additional room nights by 2010, amounting to $140m in additional direct and indirect spending, with $10.2m in tax revenue.

HYATT CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL CONTRACTORS

The project manager for the hotel was FaulknerUSA, who were responsible for managing the general contractors, defining the project 'road map', setting the master project schedule, and preparing budget, estimates and procurement. The hotel was designed by a joint venture between Klipp Colussy Jenks DuBois Architects (KCJD) of Denver, and New York-based Brennan Beer Gorman Architects (BBG).

Additional contractors include Hensel Phelps Construction Company, Alvarado Construction Inc and JA Walker Company. The interior of the hotel is to be designed by Wilson and Associates of Dallas, Texas

The electrical parts of the contract were executed by Ludvik Electric Company as a design assist subcontractor. Ludvik's scope of work included an electrical power distribution including 2-4000 Amp 277/480 Volt and 1-3000 Amp 277/480 Volt Main Distribution Switchboards, and 2-3000 Amp 277/480 Volt Life Safety Distribution Switchboards.

CONSTRUCTION

The structural steel was in place by September 2004. By the end of December the same year all the concrete was poured, and dried out by February 2005. Completion of Levels 6 to 15, along with all below-ground work, was achieved by March 2005. May 2005 saw the completion of Levels 16 to 26, with Levels 27 to 38 following in mid-August 2005. The podium/base tower was completed by the end of September 2005 with the final Certificate of Occupancy (CO) awarded on 20 December 2005. The first full year of operation for the hotel was 2006.

FACILITIES

The 1.25 million ft² hotel contains a 30,000ft² grand ballroom, the largest in Colorado State, as well as a 15,000ft² junior ballroom and an additional 25,000ft² of meeting space. It also includes a 6,700ft² Health Club (Hyatt Gym with Cardio Theatre/YogaAway) with 100 pieces of cardio and fitness equipment, a 50ft indoor lap pool with city views and an outdoor hot tub. The spa, which is called 'Spa Universaire' includes sauna, steam room, changing rooms and sun deck.

The hotel also has a 600 space underground car park. There is a choice of several eating and refreshment venues in the hotel; in addition to the Perks Coffee Bar and the Convention Bar, there is also a 300-seat, three meal restaurant Altitude and the top floor panoramic Rocky Mountain Lounge.

Each guest room has the Plush Hyatt Grand Beds with flat-screen TV, high-speed internet access and a luxury bathroom. There are Hyatt FastBoard/PDA check-in facilities available and there is WiFi in all Public Areas. In addition there is a 24 hour FedEx/Kinko's business centre along with the Limestone Board room for meetings and an Enterprise rental car desk.

HYATT CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL DESIGN

The hotel has 37 floors, with a 27 storey lower tower and a 50ft vertical beacon. The 66ft-tall base of the tower will include the main lobby, restaurant and guest services on the ground level. The conferencing facilities are located on Levels 3 and 4. Level 5 contains the health club with the indoor lap pool and hospitality suites with outdoor terraces.

The public spaces are arranged along a large three-storey-high glass atrium space that runs the length of the building along California Street. It is here, on the ground floor, that you will find the restaurant, guestroom elevators, lobbies and convention bar. Escalators connect the pre-function areas with the grand ballroom on the third floor and the junior ballroom on the fourth. These atrium escalators will offer views of the Rocky Mountains to the west, the Colorado Convention Center across the road, and the lobby internally.

Extending 22 floors above the base tower is the main portion of the structure, with an additional ten floors of a smaller floor plate of guestrooms that extends to Level 37. The low-rise and high-rise portion of the towers are connected by a vertical tower that serves as a viewing area from the elevator lobbies and extends 50ft above the top of the building. This 'lantern' top provides a strong identity on the downtown skyline.

The hotel will offer 1,100 guestrooms, including 72 suites, 423 kings and 605 doubles. The hotel decor uses natural stone, warm colours and natural light along with the extensive use of LCD screens displaying images of the Colorado landscape, and $2.5m of original art including six bronze climbers scaling a 35ft limestone wall.

The hotel's contribution to art also includes the Forgotten Landscape, a permanent video installation designed specifically for the new Hyatt Denver Convention Center Hotel and produced by the film maker Shannon W Kelly.

Click here for printable version