Mention Orange County to people living outside of California and the first thing that will come to mind for many is Disneyland in Anaheim. Some may also be familiar with South Coast Plaza, a luxury shopping destination drawing visitors from around America and the world since the 1980s. The Hotel Irvine opened in 2013, succeeding a preexisting Hyatt.

© Elyse Glickman

While Disneyland, South Coast Plaza and other “lifestyle” destinations have been reinvented multiple times to reflect changes in tastes and interests, Hyatt purchased The Hotel Irvine property in August 2022 and transformed it into Hyatt Regency Irvine. While it opened to the public Aug. 28 of this year, it is still a work in progress and, when completed, will offer visitors to Orange County a fresh, stylish and fuss-free lodging option.

Many of the meeting and convention areas are ready to roll, and a new pool with water slides, water features, fire pits and landscaping will be completed by spring 2024. Hydration stations dispensing still and carbonated water can be found around the property’s public areas, including breakout meeting and conference rooms with updated tech and business amenities, and locally inspired names such as Pelican Hill and Trabuco. The upgraded Regency Ballroom spans 14,000 square feet.

© Elyse Glickman

New technical features added this past summer and fall are points of pride among the management.

“One of the things that we’re super excited about, though it may not be flashy, is our upgraded wi-fi [sic],” said Terrance Frederick, director, sales and marketing, Hyatt Regency Irvine. “We invested $100,000 into WiFi and rigging points with the help of Encore, our in-house AV company. The rigging, which is underneath the chandeliers and behind the chandeliers, extends from the front to the back of the ballroom and powers our LED screen features.”

Frederick pointed out the 18-foot LED screen debuting in mid-December, while the digital wall was created in partnership with local company Mad Graphics. It will feature a changing selection of digital art as well as branding, information and messaging for conferences and other guest-initiated events such as weddings and family reunions. Another hotel exclusive is an indoor theater he described as a “college lecture hall by way of the Guggenheim.” Every seat has a power set up on the facing desk, and the theater as a whole boasts comfortable seating and prime acoustics.

© Elyse Glickman

The hotel’s new grab-and-go market is also set to open mid-December and will be stocked with locally produced food and beverages. A Regency Club for World of Hyatt members will open this coming January, and later this winter, an outpost of Houston-based Warehouse 72 debuts its first flagship location within a hotel. While Frederick describes the menu as American Fusion, some dishes and drinks will be inspired by Southern California’s culinary trends.