The grand opening of the 1,100-room Hyatt Regency Denver was not just another hotel, but was termed an “important milestone” in the expansion of the Colorado Convention Center.
“The 37-story project reflects a national trend of cities helping fund convention-center hotels,” said The Denver Post.
A proposition passed by city voters in 1999 approved the $310 million convention center expansion and mandated that a hotel also be built.
Denver’s convention business was on the down side after 9-11, but downtown hotel occupancy rates are recovering, say tourism officials.
“This is the one-two punch we needed,” said Richard Scharf, who heads up the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We’ve never had more convention business on the books than we do now.”
The hotel has more than 60,000 square feet of meeting space.
Report by David Wilkening
