A little more than a year after completing a $115-million renovation to transition from a Hyatt Regency to the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort—the first Grand Hyatt in Arizona—the property has a strong pipeline of upscale meetings business plus more incentive programs than at any time in its 40-year history, according to Stuart Evans, the resort’s director of sales and marketing.
In early 2025, the renovation debuted 496 updated accommodations, including the resort’s 18 luxury casitas and the ultra-luxe, two-story Gainey House. Every guest room on property features a multi-purpose living space, a spa-inspired bathroom, and a private balcony or patio. The resort’s casitas offer separate spaces for entertaining and gathering along with a kitchenette, and have sweeping views of the McDowell Mountains, the resort’s small lakes and the Gainey Ranch golf course.
However, it is the event space that is sure to grab the attention of meeting and incentive planners. Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort’s renovation included the 24,000-square-foot Arizona Ballroom, the 14,000-square-foot Vaquero Ballroom, 10,000 square feet of prefunction space connecting them plus another 42,000 square feet of indoor and palm-tree lined outdoor function space.
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In fact, there are three large plaza spaces set throughout the property for large receptions that can happen simultaneously, but each with its own measure of privacy.
One unique group element on property: Educators from Liberty Wildlife Conservation can attend a reception with majestic birds such as Lizzy, a great horned owl, encouraging guests to take a closer look and to hear about the 13 species of owls in the Sonoran Desert.
The resort also has four new food and beverage concepts: La Zozzona (modern Italian), Mesa Centrale (Southwestern), Tiki Taka (global small plates), and Grand Vista Lounge (expanded lobby bar/lounge), all run by celebrated chef Richard Blais, a James Beard-nominated cookbook author.
The property also features two poolside F&B concepts: Sandbar is set within the 2.5-acre destination-pool complex with 10 separate pools plus a sand-beach entry to one pool. Meanwhile, H2Oasis serves the secluded adults-only pool.
Other leisure elements include the refreshed Spa Avania, offering 19 treatment rooms, a private pool, a Himalayan Salt Room and complete exercise facilities. And for group possibilities, the adjacent Gainey Ranch Golf Club offers 27 holes of golf as well as a huge practice area ideal for golf-themed receptions.
