Jan. 11, 2005 - The Hyatt Regency Denver on Monday changed its name to the Grand Hyatt Denver and announced that it has taken over operations of a neighboring private dining club, the Pinnacle Club.

The name change reflects three years of renovations valued at $16.5 million. They're designed to help the 511-room hotel at 1750 Welton St. compete more aggressively for business travelers and to differentiate from the larger 1,100-room Hyatt Regency under construction across from the Colorado Convention Center.

"We didn't want to be known as the old Hyatt hotel," general manager John Schafer said.

The convention center hotel "will cater to large corporate groups, while we want business professionals to know that with us, they can play in the same ballfield, just on a smaller level."

The lease of the former Pinnacle Club, on the 37th and 38th floors of the adjacent office tower at 555 17th St., will give a greater competitive edge to the hotel's banquet, catering and meeting services, spokeswoman Maryann Yuthas said.

"The views there are spectacular," she said.

The Pinnacle Club, formerly the Denver Petroleum Club, was once a must-have membership for high-fliers in the oil and gas industry. The club filed for bankruptcy last year and, despite a growing catering business, shuttered last month.

The Grand Hyatt is making plans to redecorate and rename the club, which it is leasing on comparable terms, Schafer said. Hotel managers also are trying to determine how the operations will be structured. The former club spans 43,000 square feet and consists of two ballrooms -- one of which can accommodate up to 300 people -- smaller boardrooms and a lounge.

The hotel is negotiating a new lease for the Pinnacle Club space and hopes to reopen to the public by March 1 for special events, such as weddings and anniversary parties. Access to its lounge and dining rooms may be extended to Hyatt guests and, perhaps, to former Pinnacle Club members, Yuthas said.

"Those details are still being worked out," she added.

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