The Hyatt Regency Phoenix has been a defining part of the downtown skyline since it opened on January 18, 1976, during a period of major growth and redevelopment in the city center. Designed by Charles Luckman and Associates and built adjacent to what is now the Phoenix Convention Center, the 24-story hotel quickly became a landmark thanks to its soaring atrium, glass elevators, and the Compass, Arizona’s only revolving restaurant. Over the decades, the hotel has hosted countless conventions, dignitaries, sporting events, and community celebrations while serving as a hub for visitors exploring downtown Phoenix. As the city grew around it, the Hyatt Regency Phoenix remained one of its most recognizable buildings, undergoing major renovations while preserving the architectural features that made it an icon of 1970s hospitality design. The featured image here is from 1977, shortly after the hotel’s opening during the filming of the 1977 Clint Eastwood film, The Gauntlet.
