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Radisson Blu

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Hospitality
Founded	1960; 64 years ago (1960)
Headquarters	Minneapolis, United States Brussels, Belgium
Number of locations	324 (2022)
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Wolfgang M. Neumann (President & CEO)
Owner	Choice Hotels Jinjiang International Radisson Hotel Group
Website	www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/brand/radisson-blu

Radisson Blu is an international hotel brand managed and operated by Radisson Hotels, and owned by Choice Hotels, Jinjiang International and the Radisson Hotel Group. Founded as the SAS Hotels in 1960, the Radisson Blu brand name came into existence in 2006 with a rebranding of Radisson SAS. It operates in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region with 324 operating worldwide as of 2022.

History

Foundation as SAS Hotels

SAS Hotels has roots dating to the opening of the then named SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1960. Architect Arne Jacobsen designed every aspect of the hotel for the SAS Group, from the building, to the now-iconic furniture (including the Egg chair), to the tableware. The hotel was initially operated by 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.

In 1994, Radisson SAS Hotels was created, as a partnership between Radisson Hotels International and SAS International Hotels, for operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. By the year 2000, the brand was operating 100 hotels.

Rebranding to Radisson Blu since 2009

In 2009, the partnership with SAS ended and the Radisson SAS properties were rebranded as Radisson Blu. The name ‘Blu’ was chosen as part of a research project to find a new visual identity as the company sought to replace the familiar SAS blue box.

Radisson Blu entered the United States market with the opening of its first hotel in Chicago, Illinois in 2011. The hotel occupies part of the Aqua skyscraper developed by Studio Gang Architects. In 2013, it opened its second location. It was connected to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. 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.

See also

• 2015 Bamako hotel attack
• AquaDom

Notes

1. Americas region
2. Rest of the world
3. Americas region (United States, Canada, Caribbean, and Latin America) since 2019.
4. China, and co-branded Radisson Blu in Frankfurt, Germany, with Radisson Hotel Group, since 2018.
5. Rest of the world.

References

1. ^ "Radisson Blu".
2. https://www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/corporate/about-us/our-company. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. http://www.jinjianghotels.sh.cn/htmls/Main%20Business/index.html. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
4. "Jin Jiang International Holdings Co. To Buy Radisson Hospitality Inc".
5. "Radisson Hospitality AB Annual Report and Consolidated Financial State- ments for the financial year 2022" (PDF). Radisson Hospitality AB. 2022. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
6. "Radisson Blu Fact Sheet 2022" (PDF) (Press release). 2022. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
7. ^ Cohen, M. L. (2010). Pederson, Jay P. (ed.). "Rezidor Hotel Group AB". International Directory of Company History. 118. Farmington Hills, Michigan: St. James Press (Gale, Cengage Learning group). ISBN 978-1-4144-4729-2.
8. ^ McDowell, Edwin (August 12, 1994) . "Radisson and SAS Form Hotel Pact". The New York Times. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
9. ^ "RADISSON SAS HOTELS AND RESORTS TO CHANGE THEIR NAME TO RADISSON BLU" (Press release). Globe Newswire. February 4, 2009.
10. "Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts In Europe, the Middle East and Africa to Change Their Name to Radisson Blu". Franchising.com. Retrieved 2019-09-18.
11. Citation error. See inline comment how to fix.
12. "LOOK: The Surprising Location Of This New Hotel". HuffPost. 2013-03-14. Retrieved 2019-09-18.
13. TAYLOR, MIA (April 9, 2018). "Radisson Blu is Europe's Largest Upper-Upscale Hotel Brand". TravelPulse.
14. "Radisson Blu Hotel, Kyiv". Hospitality Net. 22 February 2020.

External links

Media related to Radisson Blu at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Radisson Hotel Group
Key people	Federico J. González Tejera (CEO)
Brands	Radisson Radisson Blu Radisson Collection Radisson Red Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Park Inn by Radisson Park Plaza Prize by Radisson
Former brands	Hotel Missoni (licensing agreement) Regent Hotels & Resorts
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v t e Carlson
Subsidiaries and divisions	CWT
Former subsidiaries and brands	Radisson Hotel Group Rezidor Hotel Group Country Inns & Suites Hotel Missoni Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts Quorvus Collection Radisson Hotels Radisson Blu Radisson Red Regent Hotels & Resorts Carlson Restaurants TGI Fridays Country Kitchen
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• Radisson Blu
• SAS Group
• Radisson Hotel Group brands
• Rezidor Hotel Group
• Hotels established in 1960