ACen Adventures | Features | The New Hyatt Regency O' Hare

We got your features right here! For the longest time we have had no proper place to stick our rants and insights about things happening with Anime Central. Well those days are now long over! Here you will find more insight into the convention as well as special crap about the ACen Guys. So get browsin’ ya crazy people!

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There are many things that are important, unique, and essential to conventions. Panels, guests, and attendance rank among them - but there is truly nothing more important to a convention than its venue. Where the con is located can simply make it or break it. For years the Hyatt Regency O’ Hare has been home to Anime Central. The hotel is now part of the convention's history and many people (including ourselves) argue that without the Hyatt Anime Central just wouldn’t be the same. The fresh vibrant atmosphere was perfect as the backdrop for the thousands of photographs taken yearly at the con. Not only was the hotel aesthetically pleasing, but its simple layout made it easy and fun to navigate. The Hyatt is almost like a second home to regular attendees of ACen - we have it memorized like the back of our hands, yet it never got boring. We still find it fun to roam it halls as if it were the first time we set foot in its inside. Each and every year we come back kick off our shoes and relax, just as if we home.

Of course the Hyatt isn’t just home to ACen, it has many conventions housed within its doors year after year. One of the few complaints the hotel has gotten was that there wasn’t enough space to host larger cons. It was the truth. As Anime Central grew year by year, the space to roam got smaller and smaller. So the hotel decided to fix this problem and completely renovate the hotel that has remained the same since the 70's. As you would imagine many of Anime Centrals regulars were worried about the renovations. Sure there would be more room - but would it retain that same feeling we have all become used to over the years?

Well, as the ACen Guys, we felt it was our duty to document such a monumental event in our most beloved of conventions. Through the weeks leading up to ACen 2007 we will be bringing you pictures and construction updates on the hotel's new design. Its sort of like an old friend getting some plastic surgery. Lets all sit back and pray she makes it through while still retaining all the things that made her so special in the first place.

While wandering around the internet we stumbled upon the much sought after new Hyatt Regency floor plans. These were obtained from a bunch of press material the Hyatt released to showcase its new business space. Also included in the release were a number of conceptual illustrations showing us how the finished Hyatt will look. What’s really interesting about these illustrations is that they show us what portions of the hotel still blocked off to the public will look like. Including the new restaurant, bar, and what the new conference center will look like.

NOTE 1: These images are just conceptual artwork, they are meant only to give an idea of what the finished hotel will look like. Things may change from how they appear when the hotel is complete.

NOTE 2: These images are Copyright all rights reserved Hyatt Corporation 2007. AcenGuys.com does not claim any ownership over these images nor did it in anyway produce them.

1. This illustration is from the POV of the upper floors looking down to the back of the lobby level. Below is the new O’H restaurant, which replaces the Garden Terrace Restaurant which came before it. You may also notice the elevators new design.

2. As we showed you last week the hotel check in desk was moved to the 2nd floor. What we didn’t see on our visit were the chairs and table in the foreground of the picture, nor any sort of plant life as is shown above the new benches. These must not have been put into place as of last weeks visit but may as hotel renovations progress.

3. Here is a view of the entry level stairs going up to the lobby. It seems they are indeed going to be adding some plant life to the Hyatt’s new layout as well, something that was greatly missing in our last visit. In the background you can see a wooden archway. This archway will serve as the lobby floor entrance to the conference center. This used to be the entrance to the pool. To the right of that there also seem to be plans to have some seating.

4. This is a view of the new O’H Restaurant. What you notice immediately is the large glass arch. We’re not sure but this may serve as the entrance to the Restaurant, it is difficult to tell from the picture.

5. An inside view of O’H. It looks almost like a futuristic fast food joint.

6. This is the inside of the new Red Bar and Lounge. This new bar replaces the old forum / karaoke room

7. This is without a doubt the most drastic change to the hotel. It barely resembles what it used to be. This is a shot from the entry floor looking up. The center of this room used to be home to a fountain and its surrounding rooms served for the video programing for ACen. The staircase in the center of the room leads to the 2nd floor, to the room that used to be home to the pool. The second floor (according to the floor plans) is now nothing but meeting rooms. Although oddly enough the sun deck seems to remain as does the large glass dome that was the ceiling to pool.

8. This is an illustration of what the new meeting rooms will look like.

1. This is the stairs and escalator by the main entrance of the hotel. As you can see they have been completely redone. The stairs seem to have been expanded and now look as if they are made of glass. The paneling on the two supports have been replaced. The carpet has been replaced with marble flooring as it has been around most of the hotel. Over on the right you can see that the area leading to the live programming and video rooms is blocked off. Although we can’t confirm it, that entire area is apparently being turned into a restaurant. Over to the left you can see... nothing. That is where the front desk (which is now on the 2nd floor) used to be located.

2. This is where the main entrance would be. It is currently boarded up. You can also see the newly installed spotlights and new wood paneling on the ceiling.

3. This is a view from the 2nd floor. The popular “shit pile” statue still remains, but the carpet around it has been replaced with marble flooring. The banister on the 2nd floor has also been replaced. They used to hold the green plants as on all the floors above do, now it is stainless steel railing with glass panels.

4. Another view from the 2nd floor. On the upper left hand corner you can see a small area where they were selling food and drinks. This may or may not be the remains of Sarah’s pantry. Its old location is blocked from view.

5. Down by the statue they have replaced the conventions booths with a black wall with an odd tile panel.

6. The upper levels seem to remain the same, although the hanging plants seem to have been trimmed up.

7. This is the entrance to the Rosemont ballroom, which video rooms are held each year. Not much seems to have changed. The wooden sign that used to arch above the entrance here has been removed.

8. This is where the front desk used to be. It has been completely removed and there is nothing but empty space in its place.

9. Another view of the former front desk area.

10. This is the elevator area on the main floor. Two of the elevators were out of commission when we went. The black curtain is blocking off the area to the unfinished Northwest part of the hotel.

11. Another view of all the construction in that area.

12. The entrance that leads you to the Grand Ballroom has been widened up a significant amount.

13. The rest of the hallway has remained basically the same. The windows are boarded up due to the construction of the main entrance outside. At least I hope they are temporarily boarded up. This is the area we take out final picture every year.

14. This blurry picture is the new front desk. It is located on the left hand side when you get up on the 2nd floor. It replaced a gift shop and sitting area.

15. These are the elevators on the 2nd floor. They removed the center hub and replaced all the former tile with the new marble tile seen throughout the hotel. In the middle you can see the new front desk.

16. On each corner behind the elevators they have added a sitting area replacing the plants that used to be all around.

17. Another view of the new sitting areas.

18. There are big sheets covering the back half of the 2nd floor. The long cylinder lights remain.

19. This is probably the most drastic change outside of seeing the main entrance for the first time. These are the stairs leading to the lower level. They have expanded the stairs and added escalators on either side. What used to be a very cramped area is now very open and easily accessible.

20. This is the lower level. The walls the used to engulf the bottom of the stair case are gone opening up the area so you can access almost any room. The rest of the lower level remains unchanged although they are revamping some of the rooms.

21. This is an outside view of the hotels main entrance. Everything is boarded up and blocked off. There is nothing beyond the gates except more boards and construction equipment.

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