The Hyatt Regency Chicago is set to unveil a $168 million renovation in April. Led by Locust Valley, New York-based firm Bentel + Bentel, the renovations focus on the atrium and lobby.
Aiming for a more contemporary appeal, the lobby now will include color changing LED lighting, light controlling louvers, and new surface finishes. Not only does an art program reflect the city’s famous river and skyline, but with lighting and glass features, the redesign enhances the view of both: a louver ceiling will regulate both daylight and artificial light in the evening; a water feature resembling a prairie stream symbolizes the Chicago River; and the atrium lobby will imitate storefronts to depict an urban marketplace.
Among the renovated restaurants is Stetsons Modern Steak + Sushi-formally Stetson’s Chop House-which will boast an open kitchen, marble fireplace, and a sushi bar. The BIG Bar will feature an enlarged space along with an internally illuminated liquor tower. The Market Chicago-a new 24-hour market-will add to the new lobby seating area and four redesigned restaurants.

“The central vision behind the renovation is that of the atrium and lobby as a grand urban space, a place where the excitement of the milling crowd is amplified by the presence of extraordinary program elements,” says Paul Bentel, partner at Bentel + Bentel. “Whether it be registration and concierge, American Craft Kitchen and Bar, Market Chicago, BIG Bar, or a reinvented Stetsons Modern Steak + Sushi, each have been given a stronger identity within the lobby, making it the ‘heart and soul’ of the hotel and a place that is easier to navigate and more energetic than ever.”
