Renovations to the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza's meeting space are complete. The more than $1 million upgrade to the hotel, located in the fashionable Westside of Los Angeles, has given its Plaza Level a totally new look. It provides more than 12,000 square feet of meeting space with two junior ballrooms that can be divided into four rooms, accommodating groups ranging in size from 150 to 400. The 9,100-square-foot Plaza Pavilion provides an elegant setting for up to 600 guests. Included in the redesign is a new 24-hour business center. Renovation of the Executive Conference Center (formerly the South Mezzanine) is also complete. With eight meeting rooms ranging in size from 390 square feet to 1,100 square feet — all of which have floor-to-ceiling windows — the space is dedicated to small meetings for up to 100 people.

Earlier this year, Thompson Hotels took over for Gemstone Hotels and Resorts as the management company of the property at 333 North Dearborn in Chicago. Now called Sax Chicago, the hotel has more than 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including two fourth-floor ballrooms with variable lighting controls, pre-function seating spaces, and many customizable features. A 1,000-square-foot home-theater-style meeting space, the Paris Room, has an in-ceiling video projection system. Several smaller spaces offer breakout locations. Sax Chicago is an easy walk to Navy Pier, Millennium Park, and the Magnificent Mile.

A new conference center, Sentry Center Midtown East, has opened in Manhattan with 40,000 square feet of meeting space — 12 meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 400 attendees. The 17th-floor, 4,200-square-foot Wharton Ballroom features floor-to-ceiling windows that afford spectacular panoramic views of the midtown skyline. The 5,000-square-foot Outdoor Garden Terrace can accommodate up to 400 for warm-weather banquets and receptions. Sentry Center is located minutes from Grand Central Station.

In Scottsdale, Ariz., The Phoenician has opened its 15,000-square-foot Camelback Ballroom, featuring high windows, multiple registration areas, and a separate valet entrance. It can be subdivided into seven separate function areas and has a large outdoor plaza for breaks. Including back-of-house, lobby, and pre-function space, the $40 million ballroom addition encompasses 45,000 square feet. It increases the resort's meeting and event space to more than 120,000 square feet.