A Century City star is adding to its shine.

The Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel is starting a second phase of its major overhaul, slated for completion in February.

Updates to the hotel include modernization of the famous Presidential and Royal Suites that have housed every U.S. president since Lyndon Johnson. Also being redone are the lobby and patio areas and the hotel conference center.

Gensler is the architecture firm spiffing up the lobby and will decorate it using gold metallic paint, mirrored walls and glass-beaded frescoes on columns and furnishings.

The patio will feature a central ethanol-burning fireplace and a permanent canopy to create a room-like atmosphere. Materials used include concrete, glass, wood, stainless steel and bamboo and grass.

The new eight-room conference center will get new carpeting, window treatments, furniture and light fixtures.

“We keep finding that the more we are here, the more opportunities there are to improve and bring the business up with it,” said General Manager David Horowitz.

Additional work a revamped pool, ballroom and hotel-front improvements is scheduled for later next year.

Century City has become a hip destination. A wave of development started the trend, including extensive renovations to the once-sleepy Westfield Century City mall. Major talent agencies have relocated there and restaurants such as Craft have put a spotlight on the area. So management at the hotel decided it was time for an upgrade.

The hotel was built in 1966 and had no major renovations until about seven years ago, when the Breeze restaurant and the hotel spa were added. That was before Hyatt came into the picture.

The hotel was purchased by Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. for $300 million in 2005 a record price in California at the time. The purchase amounted to more than $400,000 for each of its 728 rooms.

Formerly known as the Century Plaza, it was renamed the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. Chicago-based Global Hyatt Corp. manages the property.

“When we came here it was a tired property and we needed to reinvigorate it,” Horowitz said. “At the same time it’s a great opportunity for us find new market niches by changing and polishing the space.”

The first phase of the remodel started in July 2006 and ended in February. Included in that work was the addition of XBar, a modern indoor-outdoor restaurant and lounge; relocation of the reception and concierge desks to the south side of the building; refurbishment of 726 guestrooms and suites and addition of a ground level, private entrance for VIPs. The first two stages of the work will cost $30 million, and more work is planned for the coming years.

A bevy of other luxury and boutique hotels that sprang up in Los Angeles over the years are competing for luxury clients, such as Raffles L’Hermitage in Beverly Hills and the Mondrian in West Hollywood and boutiques such as the Ambrose in Santa Monica. And, of course, there are stalwarts like the Beverly Hills Hotel.