Radisson Blu is an international chain of hotels operated by

Radisson Hotels Radisson Hotels is an international hotel chain headquartered in the United States. A division of the Radisson Hotel Group, it operates the brands Radisson Blu, Radisson RED, Radisson Collection, Country Inn & Suites, and Park Inn by Radisso ...

. With roots dating back to the 1960s, the Radisson Blu brand name came into existence in 2009 with a rebranding from Radisson SAS. Its hotels are found in major cities, key airport gateways and leisure destinations.

History

Early history, SAS Royal Hotel

Radisson Blu has roots dating back to the opening of the SAS Royal Hotel in Denmark in 1960. Designed by

Arne Jacobsen Arne Emil Jacobsen, Hon. FAIA () 11 February 1902 – 24 March 1971) was a Danish architect and furniture designer. He is remembered for his contribution to architectural functionalism and for the worldwide success he enjoyed with simple we ...

for

SAS Group SAS AB (Scandinavian Airlines System Aktiebolag), trading as SAS Group, is an airline holding company headquartered in the SAS Frösundavik Office Building in Solna Municipality, Sweden. It is the owner of the airlines Scandinavian Airlines and S ...

, it was the world's first designer hotel. The hotel was initially under the catering division of the group but merged with the hospitality division to become SAS Catering and Hotels. In 1982, the hotels were spun off as a separate division, operating under the name SAS International Hotels. and became known as SAS International Hotels in 1985. Aqua Tower Chicago

In 1994, Radisson SAS was created as a partnership with Radisson and SAS International Hotels for operations in

Europe, the Middle East and Africa EMEA is a shorthand designation meaning Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The acronym is used by institutions and governments, as well as in marketing and business when referring to this region: it is a shorthand way of referencing the two ...

. By the year 2000, the brand was operating 100 hotels.

2009 to present; Rebrand as Radisson Blu

The Radisson Blu brand first came into being in 2009 when Radisson SAS rebranded and changed its name to Radisson Blu. The name ‘Blu’ was chosen as part of a research project to find a new visual identity as the company looked to replace the familiar SAS blue box. Radisson Blu entered the United States market with the opening of its first hotel in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in 2011. The hotel occupies part of the

Aqua Aqua is the Latin word for water. It is used in many words which relate to water, such as aquatic life. In English, it may also refer to: Arts * Aqua (color), a greenish-blue color Business * Aqua (skyscraper), an 82-story residential skysc ...

skyscraper developed by Studio Gang Architects. In 2013, it opened its second location. It is connected to the

Mall of America Mall of America (MOA) is a large shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota, United States. Located within the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, the mall lies southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway ...

Bloomington, Minnesota Bloomington is a suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, on the north bank of the Minnesota River, above its confluence with the Mississippi River, south of downtown Minneapolis. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 89,987, ma ...

. In 2010, Radisson Blu was named the largest upper upscale hotel chain in Europe.

Concept

Radisson Blu hotels are mainly located in major cities, key airport gateways and leisure destinations. It is described as an "upper upscale" hotel brand.

References

{{Authority control SAS Group Radisson Hotel Group brands Rezidor Hotel Group Hotels established in 1960

History

Early history, SAS Royal Hotel

2009 to present; Rebrand as Radisson Blu

Concept

See also

References