While I was in Chicago with some of my girlfriends in the beginning of March, we were given the opportunity to visit and take a tour of the Radisson Aqua Blu Chicago. For those of you have been following Club Carlson’s recent promotions for some time, the Radisson Aqua Blu Chicago might actually already ring a bell for you, as it was the inspiration behind Radisson’s awesome 50,000-Point “Big Night Getaway Promotion” (related post) last November.
The Radisson Blu Chicago is currently the only Radisson Blu hotel in the United States (it just opened its doors on November 1, 2011), and is skillfully located in the heart of picturesque-downtown Chicago. This new addition to the Radisson Blu family is home to 334 guest rooms, including 15 junior suites, 2 grand suites, and a presidential suite, all which are spread across the first 18 floors of the 4-year old Aqua Tower.
Upon entering the building, my girlfriends and I were immediately impressed with the design and ambiance all around. What blew us away even more were the stories behind the inspiration and design, which truly brought this hotel to life. We were given our tour of the property by the lovely Noemi Lopez, the hotel’s on-site catering manager, who was extremely knowledgeable, passionate, and proud of what the Radisson Blu Chicago has become. She explained to us that the property’s interior designer, Jim Hamilton, not only wanted to emphasize the brands motif, “inspired by design, driven by function”, but he also wanted to be sure that his design served as a very special, unique, and relevant tribute to the city of Chicago.
As you can see below, I took a lot of pictures during the 1-hour tour; the more I learned about the inspiration behind the brand, the more I appreciated all of the little details about the design and how amazingly-relevant and special it was to the city of Chicago. I’ll let some of the pictures do the talking now.
Upon entering the building, you are immediately greeted by the sophisticated design of the lobby.
The check-in desk and concierge desks were simplistic and chic.
Another shot of the lobby/entrance area, which gives us a glimpse of their in-house upscale Italian restaurant, Filini.
Looking deeper into the hotel's lobby, we see a modern lounge area and a cozy fireplace wall.
The designer, Jim Hamilton, incorporated some of Chicago's reclaimed-steel into the flooring design.
Another peek at the large and spacious lobby and lounge area.
The lobby is home to a huge 50-foot cozy (and warm!) fireplace built into the wall.
This rug might look like a simple, modern design, but it's actually an aerial view of the city of Chicago - how fun and relevant!
The hallway connecting the lobby to the business centers/ballrooms served as a mini art gallery/gathering area. There are some pretty great works of art here - my favorite was the optical-illusion 3D painting!
The signage throughout the hotel is made with recycled Chicago printing press components - how neat!
Fully-mirrored common area bathrooms for conference center & ballroom guests.
The hallway leading us to the corporate center had a bright, modern, and welcoming feel.
I was a fan of the simplistic and modern feel of the corporate center floor.
A sample set-up of a corporate meeting/conference. These rooms were fully-equipped with state of the art technology and sound.
The amenities are from Anne Semonin, which I don't know much about, but it seems to be a high-end French line of products.
This is a sample Junior Suite, which combines efficiency and style with the design. This room was especially appealing to me because I loved how it felt cozy like a hip downtown apartment with the sliding-glass doors leading to a mini balcony.
The living area of the Junior Suite features a modern pullout couch. Bonus: the coffee table was designed so that it doesn't need to be moved when utilizing the pull-out feature on the couch (pull-out bed rests perfectly above the table).
The bathroom in the Junior Suite also had a door-less/open floor plan.
A quick shot of the desk/work area within a Junior Suite.
The business lounge was huge! Fully loaded with plenty of lounge areas, work stations, complimentary newspapers/reading material, snacks, and beverages. The business lounge is available to all those staying on the business floors (17 & 18).
A shot of some relaxing couches within the business lounge.
I was impressed with the chic, sophisticated, trendy design of the business lounge at this property.
A glimpse of some of the snacks and beverages available to those in the business lounge
Some tables to enjoy some snacks and drinks inside the business lounge.
An array of some of the complimentary hot and cold beverages available to those guests staying on the business floors (17 & 18).
After the tour, my girlfriends and I dined at Filini, the Italian restaurant located in the Radisson Blu.
Dessert anyone? Delicious tiramisu.
Additional Tips/Facts I’ve Gathered Along The Tour:
- The hotel is fully ADA compliant.
- Parking is $24 to Valet for the day/$41 for overnight.
- There is free WiFi throughout the hotel.
- The fitness center is HUGE, complete with a basketball court, large cardio section, free weights/machines, swimming pool, sauna, steam room etc. There is also a gorgeous jogging track on the outside deck.
- To book this property with points, it’ll cost you 50,000 Club Carlson gold points for a one-night stay.
That’s all for now! I really did enjoy exploring the Radisson Blu Chicago during my visit to the city. A huge thank you goes out to Club Carlson for inviting me out to visit and letting us dine at Filini.
Blogger disclosure: Club Carlson contacted me via email when they learned I was visiting Chicago to take advantage of Public Chicago’s $1 Sale promotion to invite me to visit the Radisson Blu Chicago. I did not stay at the Radisson Blu Chicago, and I was not compensated for the tour or this blog post. However, we did dine at Filini immediately following the tour compliments of the hotel’s management.
Nice photos. You were good about getting many of the hotel design details in your post.
What was Public Chicago’s $1 Sale promotion about? I’m interested in learning more about it.
@ Ric: Thanks! It was truly a spectacular property.
@ Sheila: In my post here: http://justanotherpointstraveler.boardingarea.com/2012/03/03/hotel-review-public-chicago-1-sale-success/ I describe the sale & how you can register to be notified of the next =)
I might visit Chicago in the near future. Will Club Carlson invite me too :)?
Angelina,
The weekend of January 20 I had the good fortune of staying at the Radisson Blu with my wife and daughters. My 15 year old was in a high school dance competition. Aside from making the poor decision to drive from Kansas City in a snowstorm with a planned arrival at rush hour, we had a great time in an amazing hotel! The kids were out on the balcony playing in the snow within minutes of arriving! We were there during the triple points promotion and have gold status with Club Carlson. The status was to provide a “special welcome amenity” which was a water bottle and a bag of jelly beans. A tad disappointing. The only other negative s were the pool, just a lap pool which is not very kid friendly and the room service desert we ordered for the kids. 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream, 3 orders; ready for this? $36! That’s just ridiculous. All in all, definitely a hotel to return to but next time, no kids!
Wow, very nice review, thanks!