Radisson Blu

Radisson Blu is an international upper-upscale hotel brand serving business and leisure travelers in major cities, airport gateways, and resort destinations. Its institutional origins reach back to the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, which opened in 1960 as a landmark project for the Scandinavian Airlines System. Designed by Danish architect and designer Arne Jacobsen, the hotel established a strong connection between the brand’s heritage and modernist architecture, interiors, furniture, and hospitality design. The hotel business developed within the SAS organization before becoming a separate operating division. In 1982, the hotels were separated from the broader SAS structure and operated as SAS International Hotels. A major step in international expansion came in 1994, when SAS International Hotels formed a partnership with Radisson Hotels International for hotel operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Properties were subsequently marketed under the Radisson SAS name, combining the established Radisson hotel identity with SAS’s regional operating platform. By 2000, the network had reached approximately 100 hotels. The Radisson Blu name emerged from a visual-identity and naming program intended to replace the former SAS blue-box identity. The name was introduced during the mid-2000s and became the principal consumer-facing identity as the Radisson SAS partnership ended and properties were rebranded in 2009. The transition positioned Radisson Blu as a more globally consistent brand while preserving the upscale positioning associated with the former portfolio. The brand’s offer centers on full-service hotel accommodation, restaurants and bars, meeting and event facilities, business amenities, and, depending on the property, leisure facilities such as pools, spas, and resort programming. Radisson Blu properties vary considerably by market and building type: the portfolio includes urban business hotels, airport hotels, convention-oriented properties, landmark buildings, and resorts. The common brand proposition emphasizes contemporary design, reliable service standards, convenient locations, and a level of comfort above the mainstream full-service segment. Radisson Blu entered the United States with the opening of a hotel in Chicago in 2011. The property formed part of the Aqua skyscraper, a prominent mixed-use development designed by Studio Gang Architects. A second U.S. location opened in 2013 at Bloomington, Minnesota, with a direct connection to the Mall of America. These openings gave the brand a visible presence in the U.S. market while its principal historical footprint remained in Europe and other international regions. Ownership and operating control have become regionally differentiated. Radisson Hotel Group continued to operate the brand across much of the world, while Choice Hotels International acquired the Americas business of Radisson Hotel Group in 2022. As a result, Radisson Blu is managed within the Choice Hotels system in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean, while Radisson Hotel Group remains responsible for the brand in other territories. The brand was reported as having 324 operating hotels worldwide in 2022. Its present identity therefore combines a common international brand system with region-specific ownership, websites, loyalty arrangements, and operating structures.

Radisson Blu’s history begins with the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark, opened in 1960 for the Scandinavian Airlines System. The project was conceived as an integrated expression of modern hospitality design. Arne Jacobsen designed the building and many of its interior elements, including furniture and tableware, making the property an important early example of a hotel brand expressed through architecture, interiors, and product design rather than through signage alone. The hotel operation initially belonged to the catering side of the SAS organization. It later became part of SAS Catering and Hotels, and in 1982 the hotel activities were separated into SAS International Hotels. The independent hotel division provided the organizational platform for expansion beyond Denmark and for the development of a recognizable Scandinavian hotel identity. In 1994, SAS International Hotels entered a partnership with Radisson Hotels International. The arrangement covered hotel operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and properties were marketed under the Radisson SAS name. This partnership combined SAS’s regional hotel network and operating history with the Radisson name and international hotel-management capabilities. Expansion during the 1990s and early 2000s established the chain as a significant upper-upscale operator; by 2000, the network had reached about 100 hotels. The next major turning point was the creation of the Radisson Blu identity. The name was developed through research into a new visual identity, with the intention of moving away from the familiar SAS blue-box branding. Although the name appeared during the mid-2000s, the decisive portfolio transition occurred after the partnership with SAS ended. In 2009, Radisson SAS properties were rebranded as Radisson Blu, giving the chain a more unified international identity and a clearer relationship with the wider Radisson brand family. Radisson Blu expanded its geographic reach and property formats after the rebranding. Its hotels were concentrated in major cities, important airport gateways, and leisure destinations. The portfolio included convention and business hotels as well as resort properties, allowing the brand to address both corporate travel and higher-value leisure demand. The brand’s service model generally combined lodging with restaurants, meeting facilities, business services, and property-specific leisure amenities. The first Radisson Blu hotel in the United States opened in Chicago in 2011. Located in the Aqua skyscraper, the hotel linked the brand to a high-profile contemporary architectural project. In 2013, the brand added a second U.S. property connected to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. These openings were important steps in establishing Radisson Blu in the North American market, where its historical awareness had been lower than in Europe. The corporate structure changed again in 2022 when Choice Hotels International completed its acquisition of Radisson Hotel Group’s Americas business. Radisson Blu therefore became subject to regionally divided ownership and operation: Choice Hotels controls the Americas business, while Radisson Hotel Group continues to operate the brand in other markets. This arrangement affects the commercial administration of the brand without eliminating its shared name, positioning, and international design and service framework. The brand was reported to have 324 operating hotels worldwide in 2022, reflecting its continuing role as one of the principal upper-upscale brands associated with the Radisson system.

• 2022

  Americas business moved to Choice Hotels

  [2]Choice Hotels completes acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americaschoicehotels.com

  Choice Hotels completed its acquisition of Radisson Hotel Group’s Americas business, leaving Radisson Blu with regionally divided ownership.

• 2013

  Second U.S. location opened in Minnesota

  [1]Radisson Bluen.wikipedia.org

  The brand opened a property connected to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.

• 2011

  First U.S. Radisson Blu hotel opened in Chicago

  [1]Radisson Bluen.wikipedia.org

  Radisson Blu entered the United States with a hotel in Chicago’s Aqua skyscraper.

• 2009

  Radisson SAS properties were rebranded

  [1]Radisson Bluen.wikipedia.org

  Following the end of the SAS partnership, the Radisson SAS portfolio transitioned to the Radisson Blu brand.

• 2006

  Radisson Blu name emerged

  [1]Radisson Bluen.wikipedia.org

  The Radisson Blu name was introduced as part of research and development of a new visual identity for the hotel business.

• 2000

  Network reached approximately 100 hotels

  [1]Radisson Bluen.wikipedia.org

  The Radisson SAS network had expanded to roughly 100 properties.

• 1994

  Radisson SAS partnership was formed

  [1]Radisson Bluen.wikipedia.org

  SAS International Hotels and Radisson Hotels International established a partnership for hotel operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

• 1982

  SAS hotels became SAS International Hotels

  [1]Radisson Bluen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel activities were separated from the wider SAS structure and operated as a distinct hotel division.

• 1960

  SAS Royal Hotel opened in Copenhagen

  [1]Radisson Bluen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel that established the brand’s historical roots opened in Copenhagen as a Scandinavian Airlines System property, with architecture and interiors designed by Arne Jacobsen.

Upper-upscale full-service hospitality for business, urban, airport, and leisure travelers, with an emphasis on contemporary design, dependable service, and prominent locations.

• Urban hotels

  Radisson Blu city hotels

  Full-service upper-upscale properties in major cities, typically combining guest rooms with restaurants, lounges, meeting spaces, fitness facilities, and business-oriented services. Their locations and building types vary widely, but the format is intended to support both corporate travelers and city-break guests.

• Airport and transit hotels

  Radisson Blu airport and gateway hotels

  Hotels positioned near airports, transportation hubs, and other strategic gateways. These properties serve travelers requiring convenient access, short stays, meetings, and international connections, while retaining the brand’s full-service and upper-upscale positioning.

• Resort hotels

  Radisson Blu resorts

  Leisure-oriented properties in resort destinations. Depending on the individual hotel, the offer may include pools, spas, restaurants, outdoor activities, and family or vacation amenities alongside the standard Radisson Blu accommodation and service platform.

• Meetings and events

  Radisson Blu conference hotels

  Large or strategically located properties designed to support conferences, corporate meetings, exhibitions, weddings, and other events. Their product mix generally includes flexible meeting rooms, catering, business services, and accommodation for delegates.

• 2022

  Transfer Americas operations to Choice HotelsM&A

  Background

  Choice Hotels acquired Radisson Hotel Group’s Americas business as part of a broader expansion of its hotel portfolio.

  Action taken

  Choice Hotels assumed ownership and operation of the Radisson brands in the Americas, including Radisson Blu in the relevant markets.

  Aftermath

  Radisson Blu continued under Radisson Hotel Group outside the Americas while its Americas business became part of the Choice Hotels system.

  Source

• 2011

  Enter the United States with a Chicago propertyProduct launch

  Background

  Radisson Blu sought to extend its international upper-upscale platform into the U.S. market.

  Action taken

  The brand opened its first U.S. hotel in Chicago’s Aqua skyscraper.

  Aftermath

  The opening established a North American platform and was followed by a second U.S. location in Minnesota in 2013.

  Source

• 2009

  Adopt the Radisson Blu identityStrategy

  Background

  The hotel business needed a new identity after the end of the Radisson SAS partnership and sought to replace the established SAS blue-box presentation.

  Action taken

  Properties were progressively rebranded from Radisson SAS to Radisson Blu, creating a more unified international brand.

  Aftermath

  The new name became the principal identity for the group’s upper-upscale international hotel portfolio.

  Source

1. 1Radisson Bluen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Choice Hotels completes acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americaschoicehotels.com
3. 3Radisson Blu official brand websiteradissonhotelsamericas.com