Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort & Villas has been named a 2025 Stella Award winner, a recognition that places the desert retreat among a select group of hotels and suppliers celebrated by meeting professionals for exceptional service and innovation. The honor comes as Northstar Meetings Group announced recipients of the 9th Annual Stella Awards, selected from more than 10,000 votes and a record 1,009 nominations.
The Stella Awards are widely regarded as a gold standard across the global meetings and events industry, spanning 16 categories and six regions worldwide. Winners are first nominated and voted on by planners, then evaluated by a panel of judges chosen by Northstar’s editors – an approach designed to reward consistent excellence and real-world performance.
“[The awards] honor the consistent contributions of the industry’s most trusted supplier partners who set new standards for service and innovation,” said Shalise DeMott, senior vice president, U.S., for Northstar Meetings Group.
For Grand Hyatt Indian Wells, the accolade caps a sweeping, $64 million property-wide transformation that touched virtually every corner of the resort. The refresh delivered 531 newly reimagined accommodations; new dining concepts from chef Angelo Sosa – Tía Carmen and Carmocha; expanded outdoor recreation with private cabanas; the Agua Serena Spa and Kalologie Medspa; and an upgraded HyTides waterpark, billed as the largest in Greater Palm Springs with 30-foot dueling waterslides and a 450-foot lazy river.
The resort’s meetings infrastructure is equally robust: 88,000 square feet of flexible space headlined by the 20,000-square-foot Indian Wells Ballroom (capacity up to 2,200), the 1,666-square-foot Sunset Room for executive gatherings, and the outdoor Verbena Terrace for receptions and banquets. Taken together, the footprint positions the property as a high-capacity, high-touch venue for conferences, incentives and social events.
The awards also spotlight the priorities of today’s event organizers. Two of the most popular categories among nominees and voters were Best Food & Beverage and Best Hotel/Resort Event Space, areas where Grand Hyatt Indian Wells has invested heavily through its culinary revamp and expansive venues.
With its renovation complete and its meetings capacity on full display, the Stella Award signals that Grand Hyatt Indian Wells is resonating with planners who prize service, design and operational excellence. For a resort that pairs striking desert scenery with large-scale capabilities, the honor is both validation and a calling card as it courts the next wave of conferences and celebrations.
