Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago

Beautiful hotel! We really enjoyed the outdoor pool and lounge area in the Chicago heat. The drink/food service at the pool is great. Many other great amenities. Location was perfect. The room was great; very nice bathroom, comfortable bed and nice view (noticed a few minor cleanliness issues). Overall, would definitely recommend.

We just had our wedding at this hotel on 5/25/24 and it was an amazing experience! Everyone was extremely helpful! In catering, Kim went above and beyond to make our wedding a success! From the planning to execution everything was great and our guests loved our event! Loved that we were able to see her on our wedding day even though we know it was hard for her as she was recently out on medical leave. Also want to give a shout out to the lead bell hop Hassan. It was a busy weekend at the hotel with it being Memorial Day weekend and he made multiple trips up and down helping us with all our wedding bags and suitcases and getting them in and out of our cars. It was very much appreciated as it was hard to get a luggage cart.

***Please read before you book at this hotel.*** I am actually mad at all the people leaving reviews at how great this hotel is and how this is their "go to" hotel when they come to Chicago. I chose this hotel mostly based on reviews that are either fake or the people who wrote them never really used some of the amenities. I have stayed at least 10 different hotels near the Magnificent Mile over the last three years, so I have a lot of perspective. I selected this hotel based on the fact that they had an outdoor pool, hot tub and sauna and it was in a decent location. Here is what is good. Location is decent, the rooms are overall decent, the lobby and valet service are decent. The sauna was decent. The workout/gym seemed to have a variety of equipment so if you like to work out, you may enjoy the workout area. Here is what is not good. Difficult to find parking in the garage on a weekend, out hotel room shower had a crack in the glass shower door (room 726) and had a bit of mold growing on the floor tiles. The pool area must be open to the public because the people who used the pool were not people who could afford to stay at this hotel. The cement needed a good power wash and there were cracks in the cement around the pool area. I refused to even use the pool. The pictures on the hotel website are very misleading. The steam room should actually be inspected by the department of health. It smelled so bad in there like rotten eggs and mold. I opened the door and quickly shut it. I did not want to get mold in my lungs. There is a pool room and my boyfriend and I wanted to play a game. There was one pool stick but we thought we could share it. It was literally broken so you could not even use it. If you note, there are no pictures of the steam room or whirlpool that I recall. This hotel was renovated but it appears like some areas still need to be updated or fixed. The pictures of the pool look so nice. I was so disappointed. Of all the hotels I've stayed at- Trump, Hotel Intercontinental, Marriot, Drake, Omni, etc., by far this was the worst. I will never stay here again. For the price of $380 per night, there are much better locations and amenities to be had beside here.

This place has the best pool in Chicago! Also includes a tasty restaurant on site, a wonderful staff and the rooms are beautiful! It also shares a block with CVS so it's convenient to get water or anything you forget. My only pro-tip is to have your taxi or ride share pick you up on the corner down by the river, the front door of the hotel was difficult for cars to get to. Other than that very small thing, 10/10 l, I can't wait to stay here again!

Not too pleased with our stay at this hotel. We splurged for a two night stay at, what we thought, would be a semi-luxury and comfortable stay. For the amount we paid, I did not see much difference in comfort than a Hampton Inn. Mattress wasn’t really comfortable and pillows were horrible. They look thick but cushioning would just split off to the sides when you put your head down. Service was average. Had to call guest services multiple times in order for anyone to answer. Ordered room service which was great but requested extra syrup after it was delivered. Unfortunately it never showed up. No one showed up either to pick up our trays. There is also no dining area for you to eat with family if you were to order food from outside which is disappointing because who would want to eat all their meals the hotel restaurant. Perhaps my expectations were too high. I thought Radisson Blu was supposed to be a “4 star” hotel but it was average at best. Don’t waste your money here and stay somewhere cheaper as accommodations will be practically the same.

Rooms are clean, bar & restaurant were nice and the fitness center and pool deck were awesome. Have the best bellman, Hassan who was super helpful and nice! He was always there to assist with anything we needed and had good local recommendations. We stayed there for 5 days and will stay again.

We stay at this hotel every time we come to chicago. The location cannot be beat. The views from the rooms are amazing. The food at the restaurant is great. The pool deck overlooks a beautiful park which has easy access to the bike path along the lake. We had a slight mix up with our check in the time but Aria in customer relations cleared it up for us. She overheard us complaining about the experience while we were having lunch at the restaurant and offered to intervene!!! OMG!!! Talk about over the top dedication!!!! She is AMAZING!!! We love the hotel and would recommend to everyone!!!

Air conditioning in the room was barely working and this was by design. It was really warm at night. They have a minimum that you are allowed to turn it down to and no more past that. Which means that the room was not cold enough in the middle of a hot summer. This is crazy for a hotel that is supposed to be really nice... just let us keep the AC on the whole time!

this is one of our favorite spots to stay in Chicago. It's close to millennium Park has access to Tesla superchargers and is a short walk to the lake. The service is always incredible and the rooms are really nice. Highly recommend this hotel to anybody that's staying in Chicago.

Disappointing. My friends and I stayed here for one night, and it was disappointing, let me tell you why. The room was nice, it was homey and the bathroom was very cool and modern, had some places that could be cleaner but otherwise was okay. But I was the most upset with the pool, we went to go swimming and go into the hot tub but the water was so cloudy it was hard to see the bottom, with so much hair and bandaids floating around in it. The hottub had so much bacteria, and literally body fat floating on the top, I manage a pool and I've never seen one so disgusting. When we arrived to the pool there were also 15, yes 15 children in the hot tub, so even if we did want to go into it we couldn't, a staff member literally walked right by it and didn't care even though you have to be 16+ to go in. The "Starbucks" in the building also doesn't accept any Starbucks gift cards, and is WAY overpriced than any other real Starbucks. For example if you want a syrup in your drink, it's .75¢ extra PER PUMP. The hotel looks very fancy and nice, and room service people were delightful, but overall this hotel is overrated and was very disappointing.

So the pros first: AMAZING pool area, Perfect location walkable to so many places. Steps from millennium park. Quick 5min to Riverwalk and Michigan Ave. I would consider returning for the pool alone in the summer. Staff were so nice. But... The cons: our double queen room on the 4th floor was old and not renovated so looked NOTHING like the Radisson website. No tub in bathroom. Bathroom not very clean. Old furniture. Beds old and creaky. Fridge was full of items to purchase and said you can't put personal things in but to call for a fridge. We called and they brought a fridge that tripped a breaker. Twice. But maintenance was super quick and nice to turn our power back on lol. TV stopped working the 2nd day. AC was barely cold so sleeping in July heat was absolutely miserable! Overpriced for what you get for sure. I'd recommend this hotel if you only care about a pool, good location and not much comfort.

Once in a while, I accumulate enough rewards points that I can justify splurging for a nice hotel. Chicago is one of those cities that basically has two tiers of hotel. The "luxury" and the "budget" with unfortunately there being not a lot of difference between the two. No matter what, you'll probably feel like you're overpaying. I have mixed feelings about staying here. Had I "paid" full price for this hotel (instead of rewards points), I think I would be quite upset, but for this review I am giving it an "OK" score. Vanessa checked me in at the end of the evening. Very polite and professional... she upgraded me into the Ambassador Suite on the 8th floor. An amazing room that included a bedroom, a living/work space, and a really large walk-in shower. I thought I lucked out. First thing I noticed was one of the towels was a little bit dirty. Folded and placed on the shelves, but there was black schmutz on one side of it. It didn't look like *that* but it certainly wasn't clean. There were quite a few rogue strands of long hair, some on the floor, some in the tub. There was a sticky spill of some kind near the work desk. An empty box for extra coffee pods was left on the coffee counter. The bidet toilet did not function. Not necessarily the worst things in the world, but given their list price, I was surprised. I relayed the info to the front desk the next day and asked for my room to be cleaned that day, since they only clean it every third day. She apologized and said she would make sure it was done before I returned. When I came back later that day, it was cleaned, but whomever was there left an opened water bottle in the bedroom. Kinda weird. Oh, apparently the pillows are reused from a Best Western in Victoria [shrug]. The building seems to be shared use with building tenants, which includes all the amenities, which were absolutely slammed with people (including screaming kids). They also rent out event space and there was a wedding party that weekend. So a bit chaotic. However, my "upgrade" was a pleasant surprise. The room is relaxing and tucked away so building noise was minimal (although I could hear guests if they were talking in the hallways). There's a huge walk-in shower and an enormous tub, both were nice. Location is very good. Not super-close to a subway/elevated. close to some bus routes, but quite walkable to downtown stuff. Great breakfast spots nearby. (Eggy's and Wildberry to name a couple) TL;DR: Expensive for the average experience. Probably better than a lot of other downtown hotels, but next time I'm in Chicago I'll probably try elsewhere.

Great hotel. Awesome location. The staff is lovely. First time back to Chicago in nearly 2 years since moving. The staff made it feel like home. Hassan, bellman, is so sweet and continuously went above and beyond to make stay comfortable. Brie and London at Fire Lake are awesome bartenders. Very attentive and personable. Overall I had a wonderful experience at Radisson Blu. I will be back. The only downfall is that the elevators are extremely busy so prepare to wait a bit. Even the back up elevators are slow. The hotel is also extremely busy, good for them, expect to hear some noise in the hallways and since the hotel Is in a major city you'll hear city sounds.

I'll be honest, for the amount per night, I was not impressed. I'm sure part of that was location, which I enjoyed not having to move my car to visit the Navy Pier or the Cloud Gate and a few of the fancy eateries that are nearby. My room was a decent size, but there had to be some shortcuts that the cleaning crew was taking, because they could have done a better job (pictures attached). Before you ask...no asking for another room was a no go because apparently this was Beyonce's Chicago that weekend. *rolls eyes* Anyway, the parking garage was a mess...super small spaces and well...it is Chicago. The people were super nice and it was a gorgeous hotel overall...my room was just not a 4-5 star room.

We have enjoyed two staycations here, and both times, we had a blast. They do run the place very well, and staff is excellent. On the most recent trip, the ice machine was out on our floor, and when I made a call for a recommendation on which floor to visit to obtain ice, I was told that it was hard to say which were working so housekeeping brought up two bags. The rooms are clean, and I absolutely love their Chicago-themed sketch art in the rooms and hallways. It is just so cool. My gripe in our most recent room was that the bathroom doors have essentially zero sound-proofing due to design. Also, due to the gap in the way the sliding door closed, the bathroom does not retain as much warmth as it could/should.

Came here for a conference. The building is beautiful in the inside and the catering food was great! Full of favor and filling. The wait staff was nice as well.

3 star only because the horrible construction right in front that makes it a little blah when pulling up and not a nice area to walk. Overall I love the live music and restaurant area. What was my most favorite is the sauna and steam room this hotel provides! I have never been one to take advantage of the amenities provided as I always ventured out the hotel but this time decided to stay at the hotel, use the pool, hot tub, steam room & sauna, also the gym for my new workout regime. Parking is a very confusing. Expensive 60$ a night vs 75$ valet. I hate how city parking is another bill added to your hotel stay. Too cold for outdoor pool to be open but it will be a nice city view and glimpse of the ocean. I would not come back as it wasn't a favorite, but it's a good stay for a more decent price than other hotels. If you use the amenities it's definitely worth every penny!

4-5 years later, and I've now stayed here for the second time, and unfortunately have to update my review. I showed up around 12:15pm this past Monday, and no room was available for me - I understand this, since check-out was apparently at 12pm, but it was still an inconvenience, especially since I'm Radisson Gold this year. I stashed my suitcase with them and went about my day, and they called me around 1:30 to let me know it was available. Last time I had a room with two queen beds and it was HUGE. This time, I had a room with one king bed, also very comfortable, but with the layout it didn't seem as big. The floors are still very sparkly, which was fun. I experienced a few small issues this time: -I realized on Monday night the balcony door did not lock. I had a long day and was tired so I texted them about this (they had texted me originally, asking if there was anything to make my stay more pleasant, which is great). No response. I was on the 5th floor, room 520, so I didn't think anyone would be parkour-ing onto my balcony during the night. -On Tuesday AM I texted them again, and they apologized, saying they'd send someone right up. I was getting ready for the expo I was attending that day so I asked them to wait until 8:30am or later - instead, there was a knock on the door about five minutes later. The electrician fixed my balcony lock. -I asked if I could have fresh toiletries + towels, again after 8:30am, but again someone knocked and I couldn't open it, since I was in the middle of changing. I asked them to come back later, and they apparently did not - I got back from another long day at 9pm or 10pm and didn't have any toiletries. -They asked me to rate them from 1-10 and I said 8, and they asked what they could do to change that - I asked for the light right next to the bed to be fixed (it would not turn on), they said they would, and they did not. This time I was facing the river (Sheraton hotel area) and it was also pretty loud at night, from street sounds, but that's something they can't really fix. The pros about my stay included: -They used to not have fridges in the rooms, now they do. -Bed was large and comfy, although a little lopsided/lumpy. -They did TRY to fix the above things, they just went about it wrong. -I don't drink tea or coffee usually but they had a nice selection, with real cups, and also nice toiletries. I also thought maybe I'd be welcomed as a Gold member (this is my first year as Gold) or something like that, but nope. The text did say something like that, though. All that being said, though, I'd stay at this hotel again, since those are all minor inconveniences. It was also the cheapest of all the Expo block rooms, at $250/night, which is a lot, but for Chicago not actually that much.

My mom and I really enjoyed our stay here for Mother's Day weekend. The staff was friendly and helpful when recommending spots in the city. The room was clean and was a great size for 2 people to stay comfortably. The location was great and in walking distance to everything we wanted to do and if we chose Rideshare for anything, it was never too pricey.

Regrettably, my experience at the Radisson Blu Aqua fell short of expectations. Despite booking an Executive Floor room with anticipated access to the Executive lounge, I discovered upon arrival that it had been closed for months, a fact not updated on their website. Securing two rooms, I found them vastly dissimilar--one a spacious corner balcony room, the other a compact city-facing room with no balcony. Initially informed of room unavailability due to a conference, I learned that a balcony room on a different floor would be ready later that day, still not like the first. Promised a daily $25 breakfast credit, I found upon checkout that it hadn't been applied to the bill. Attempts to rectify this were met with frustration--delayed bills, prolonged phone holds, and an interrogation-like call regarding the credit entitlement. Though entitled to credit for both rooms, it was only applied to one, necessitating further calls and awaiting callbacks from managers. On top of these issues, the front desk service left much to be desired. The demeanor of the staff, particularly the young ladies, lacked warmth and hospitality, a far cry from the expected standard.

Literally the most unprofessional and terrible service I have EVER received from a hotel in my life. I stayed here over the weekend and my boyfriend put his credit card on file. My flight got in earlier so I went to check in and then said his card wasn't letting them charge the $200 incidental fee. Fine whatever I'll put my card down. Instead they charge me 737 DOLLARS. On top of that I TOLD the front desk guy FOUR times that the machine said 737 and not 200 and he said "oh that's just our system" surprise surprise I got charged 737 :) So the manager says that it will be refunded in 3-5 business days great right? Nope it now gets run as 642 dollars????? Which makes no sense????? Because my boyfriends card was already charged and the room was PRE PAID!!! If I could give zero stars I would Oh to continue!!!! I called back on Tuesday because the money wasn't back in my account and I was told that DANA EVANS lied to me and said he was processing the refund when he really wasn't. So now this other lady sends me an email they're refunding me. Great right?????? NO. Now it's 7-10 business days from the 30th :)))))) So to recap - steals my money, lies to me about it, i have to call them a second time, lies to me again and said 3-5 business days. I'm now being told 7-10 business days so that's close to 3 weeks of this place having over 700 dollars of MY MONEY. I have never had such terrible service from a hotel and I stayed in motel 8s as a child I will be calling corporate and complaining as well

This place is a total mess! This is a residential building that assigned 18th levels to hotel that's why it is managed poorly. The maintenance is a joke - I reported a busted handheld shower, and it's like I was talking to a wall, no one cared. And don't even get me started on the pool and jacuzzi - they were practically a biohazard with poop floating around! The valet tried to pull a fast one, overcharging us. When we called them out, things got wild - the dude actually cut the driver's seat with a knife! Talk about unprofessional and crazy staff. To top it off, the building's right next to a fire department, so it's noisy as heck all day. Avoid this place unless chaos is your idea of a good time!

Checked in an hour and a half after check in time. When we walked in to our room we were hit with the smell of an in door pool, we were surprised to find two full-size beds instead of a king that we reserved. I went down to the front desk to let them know this happened and they said they didn't have any available and their was nothing they could do. I asked again what they could do to make up for this and they took $50 off the room to make up for the inconvenience. The hotel room was dirty the sides of the floor panels were covered in dust, their was rusty mold around the shower and glass. It was very difficult to figure out how to work the lights. There was no pen for us to sign our card I thought it was customary for hotel rooms to have this in them. When we got back to the hotel that night we were disappointed further to find out our AC did not work. Upon checking out we mentioned this to them and they said they would tell maintenance. This is our 2nd time staying in this hotel over the last 8 years and the cleanliness and front desk service has not changed. I am not hard to please but expect a clean room that matches what you reserved especially when you are paying $300/night. I don't think this is a good place to stay if you can avoid it. I work in the travel industry and would be embarrassed to ever recommend this place to any of my entertainment customers or business colleagues. Do better. The best part about our stay was the bellhop he was great, kind and very helpful.

Family of four stayed here for location - you are in the middle of everything. Steps from Maggie Daley Park, and within a very reasonable and scenic walking distance to Navy Pier, Boat tours, and Willis Tower. Close to Giordano's for delicious Chicago deep dish. Stan's Donuts also nearby. CVS next door for incidentals. The room itself was nice - city view and a balcony, could leave the door open for fresh air. Large shower stall in updated bathroom with rainfall shower-head option. Nice black & white wallpapered mural of Chicago skyline silhouette. Hotel has decent indoor pool & hot tub. Only recommendation to Radisson is to update the furniture, it was dated/heavily-used and didn't fit the updated style of the room. Would stay again.

The room is fantastic and great for the price. Enjoyed my stay here college weekend trip was fantastic

I stayed at this hotel for a couple nights. The room was very luxurious. They had a gym, basketball court and a pool.

If I could put ten stars I would. First and foremost, Vanessa is an absolute angel and life saver. When my travel agency made a mistake on my reservation, she went above and beyond to make sure that I was able to get accommodations; and that's just a piece of how wonderful the staff has been! Everyone has been so friendly and kind. This hotel is brand new, and it shows! The atrium is beautiful, the building is beautiful, and the rooms are beautiful as well! This is by far one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed at, and the amazing staff made it that much better. :)

Without carpet in the halls there is no sound buffer. So it is loud anytime anyone walks past. The bathroom door is just a sliding barn door, so again loud. We called the front desk asking for pool towels and they send they'd send them to the pool. 1.5 hrs later still no pool towels. There were 3 employees down there. Two just stood there watching my daughters swim...it was weird. When I asked the other 1 about towels again he said they've been waiting 2-3 hrs for them. We ended up walking back up to our rooms cold and soaked. You cannot call this a luxury hotel if you can't even get a towel at the pool. The parking garage is what nightmares are made of, with lots of dead ends and the tightest parking spots I've ever seen. There weren't many spots. We were lucky to grab one during our second loop. Getting out of the spot is going to be terrifying. The beds were decent. We liked the patio, but there were no chairs so you couldn't really enjoy it. The gym was great, so there's at least that.

Really Beautiful Hotel in the downtown area. SUPER LATE POST visited in July 2021 Nice restaurant (Filini) inside the lobby, regal looking decor in the lobby (sorry I didn't get photos), and the most stunning views from the top floor/premier lounge (we had breakfast & snacks there). I attended a birthday event in one of the ball rooms and the food was GREAT! I wish I would have posted right away because sometimes restaurants are epic and closed 2 months later Trip was short but great accommodations at the Blu. If your staying in downtown Chicago, don't forget to check out the bean, magnificent mile, museums, and the river walk. You won't regret the recommendations. Dress appropriately if visiting in the Winter Sorry again for the late post I'm like businesses.... It's due to Covid

Will not recommend staying here. The staff was great. Woke up to the smell of weed each morning. Room smelled like a dirty wet dog. Room was not clean and comfortable. Ended our stay early.

For one I have to have my views for certain & I would love to have a nice balcony! The @radissonbluaquachicago had both , great views & very nice size balcony ! * Love the the lobby area , it was so nice , and you could definitely sit down and lounge ! Great place to get some good photos in at , and loved the decor on the walls . . Customer service was amazing , from the front desk , to the great waiter that we had at breakfast @firelakechicago ( restaurant: lounge located inside the hotel ) & the lady at the Starbucks / cafe inside hotel gave excellent service as well . * THEY ALSO HAVE REWARD PREKS ! * Loved the hallways , very much so different , love that design! * They had a really cute spot set up with words on the wall " because every picture tells a story " I loved that area of the lobby so cute ( home decor inspiration ) * I don't know if hotel sleep is just theeeeeeee best , or those beds was sent from heaven ! * I would highly recommend staying here , if you like a nice luxury stay ! I definitely enjoyed my 2 nights here & can't wait to come back & stay !

The overwhelming smell of weed everywhere we went in this hotel ruined all the other things we liked. The staff were more than helpful and kind. We arrived early and they got us in right away. As we walked to our room, there was a very strong odor of weed in the hallway. We tried another room up 1 floor. Same issue. We decided to leave for an hour and come back since we we didn't have any other options, and we smelled weed again up 9 floors from the second room. The smell seemed to come from the outside hallway / air vents / elevators as well as within the bathroom. I have to think that it's just how the HVAC system is set up, but we left at 10pm and did not sleep here. If the smell of weed wasn't there, everything would have been great. The photo of the bathroom online showed a tub for the smaller rooms and seemingly every room, which definitely isn't the case. Our room did not have a tub, which is misleading at best.

I recently stayed here for a business trip with my team. While this hotel was close to the office it still presented a few challenges (which were shared by all). Pros: - Close to the AON Center / Downtown Chicago - View of the Chicago River - CVS right next door - Restaurant on the lobby level was yummy - Front desk staff was pleasant Cons: - The air conditioning was blowing lukewarm air instead of cool air and wouldn't go below 65 degrees. On a 90 degree outside it felt like 80 degrees in each of our rooms - They say they keep the balcony doors locked for your safety, however, mine was unlocked when I arrived - They claim the revolving door is locked after 9PM but was wide open when we returned at 11PM - Hotel charged each individual business card for one night even though the total was supposed to be master billed - The shower floors have no grip whatsoever and I almost went flying a few times The hotel itself is beautiful and located in a great area. They just really need to work on the a/c and the security of the place.

For the most part we had a good experience staying at this hotel for four nights. The staff were friendly, the rooms were clean and comfortable even though they were a bit smaller than I expected. The bed allowed for a good nights rest after lots of walking. The bathrooms were nice and clean. There are a few things that bothered me and prevented me from giving the hotel five stars: 1. we had to ask for a hair dryer as the room did not have one 2. the bathroom did not have an exhaust fan causing us to turn the water on for some privacy 3. the business lounge was locked at times it should have been opened and 4. the room we reserved (premium king with a corner balcony) was not available when we checked in. Instead, were placed on the 18th (top) floor which provided access to the lounge with some limited breakfast, drink and snack options. In retrospect, we would have preferred the original room. Unfortunately, we didn't get the opportunity to try the restaurant as they weren't open for lunch at 11:30. Breakfast ended at 11:30 and lunch didn't start until 12. Despite the negatives, I'd likely consider staying here again next time I'm in Chicago.

Great location and stellar views. It's difficult to find a hotel downtown with balconies. This hotel occupies half the building and the upper half is residential. Drawbacks are parking isn't included and will cost $54 a night not to mention the parking spaces are really tight but there are a lot of them and find an area where you can take two. If you drive electric they have dedicated charging right by elevator entrances. I stayed in a king corner suite and the room layout was awkward af. You walk into the room and have a hallway with a cabinet for hanging clothes/iron equipment/microwave right there. Walk down the hallway to find another small cabinet with coffee maker/refrigerator. Bathroom is around the corner with BOTH shower and tub (awesome). Then you continue into the bedroom. I noticed the desk was backwards as the drawer was facing the window... all windows need to be cleaned. Small tv but if you're here and watching tv in the middle of the city you need to rethink your life goals.

Had a great experience at this hotel. Wonderful staff all the way around. Close to the Riverwalk, shopping in Michigan Ave and you can see Pier from the corner. I will definitely stay here again.

It is a luxury hotel with a Sauna and steam room. The bed room are well lit and modern and I absolutely love the bathtub in the hotel room

OUTSTANDING! I couldn't have picked a better hotel for my wife and I mini moon after our wedding. There was a little hiccup at the beginning checking in, we checked in at 2am as we were arriving from our wedding reception and the front desk concierge was rather difficult about not being able to use apply pay for the room hold only to find out the next day that I CAN in fact use Apple Pay... not sure why she made it so difficult because I then was running back and forth with my veil and gown trying to use my wife's card since I didn't have mine. It was a little annoying to find out she had me run around like that for no reason. She also didn't have the best demeanor compared the day shift staff. That being said, that was the last bad thing. They upgraded our room with a balcony and left a note with sparkling wine as a congratulations which was wonderful. My wife and I decided to extend by one night and Jasmine and Linda were utterly amazing with accommodating to our needs. They apologized for the check in experience and sent macaroons/strawberries and white wine to our room as another congratulations. They really tried to make up for the mishap when we checked in which I really appreciated, I felt bad for how above and beyond they were going!!! I seriously can't believe how amazing the staff was and how accommodating they were. The pool was such a nice escape and I felt like I was on vacation even tho I was in my home city. The rooms were big and clean and balcony views no matter which side you're on were beautiful. The restaurant was also amazing and Linda made a point to get us credit (some credit received from Expedia points and some given by Linda) on our room that we used for dinner. I just can't say enough good things about our experience here, we wanted to stay for longer!!!

Great hotel. Got a deal on orbits and came for a staycation. Had a king size room w a view on 17th floor. Everything was decently clean. The mini bar was empty, but came in handy for breast milk storage ha. We ate at the fire side restaurant in lobby which had great patio, excellent distances seating, excellent service, super strong drinks ha. The food was great. We did the platter w everything that filled two people. Definitely would come again. Wish the pool side bar was open. Was looking forward to it but, it wasn't the best weather.

The sauna is what sold us on this hotel. They have great amenities , including a sauna, steam room, half basketball court, gym facility, hot tub, lap pool, as well as an outdoor pool during warmer months. Great location right next to Millennium and Grant Park. They let us upgrade our room at a super reasonable rate too, which got us a wrap around deck. Perfect for the nicer weather! They have a restaurant in the hotel too, which had amazing service and friendly staff. Will definitely be staying here again.

My stay at the Radisson Blu was the best. I was fortunate enough to stay on the 18th floor. Loved that it connected to 3 other hotels through the pedway so I didn't have to walk in the cold to get to my conference location. I will definitely stay here again.

To Whom it May Concern: My name is Lelia Dorobantu and last night Oct. 1st around 8:00pm, I checked into the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Chicago. I made my reservation via Booking.com with the confirmation number 373667033. I paid almost $1,000 for 3 nights because I chose to stay here over various competitors. I booked a king size room with a city view but when I got to the reception, I was told that my room would be unavailable and that I had to be on the other side of the building. I was extremely disappointed, however, after a long day I was exhausted and felt like I had no choice but to settle for what was offered. After settling into my room, I left for the evening and came back to the hotel around 5:30 AM, Sunday, Oct 2nd. Upon arrival the doors of the hotel doors were locked and when I pulled out my key card to show security, I was a guest they still refused to let me in. The front desk receptionist approached the door and was waving me away to leave. Finally, the security, his name is QUINTON, came and opened the door for me. Thank you, Sir. To CONTINUE, as soon as I entered the lobby TAMIKA started CALLING me names, saying that I'm INTOXICATED. I completely ignored her, minding my own business, but when I asked her name, she refused to tell me. Her name tag was facing backwards. When I saw that she wouldn't tell me her name or why she was calling me ugly things, I went up to my room and I grabbed my dog to go for a walk. AS I'm walking back to the LOBBY, the security personnel started threatening me, stating they were going to kick me out of the hotel, and that I needed to pack my bags, meanwhile, claiming that he was on the phone with the higher management. At this point, I personally tried to reach the hotel, but I was only getting Tamika on the other line and she hung up on me 3 times. At no point was I aggressive or used any curse words. After seeing what both of them were trying to do, I started filming and went back to my room. Quinton followed me to my room. I felt very unsafe and threatened. I am a guest of this hotel and the man continued to follow me without giving any explanation on why he was following me to my room. I was scared to go into my room as a single woman knowing that someone like myself could be an ideal victim of a predator. I wandered in the hallway until he left, but he still wouldn't leave so I went in my room and continued to reach someone from the hotel besides Tamika. This morning I was able to speak with the Director of Front Office - Saif Alzyoud who understood my story after I showed him the video of his employees behaving unprofessionally. I typically do not spend my time providing reviews; however, given that I was put in an extremely uncomfortable situation and was offended and asked to leave by the employees of this company, I felt it was important to share my experience. Please ensure that someone follows up with me to acknowledge that my letter has been received. I hope this letter finds you well. Namaste, Lelia S. Dorobantu

Well run hotel. Nice amenities. Friendly staff. The bar/restaurant inside is better than typical pub faire. Mind you, there's nothing kid friendly about this menu; which I'd guess based off the demographic of guests we encountered, is a missed opportunity for the restaurant. Pretty, updated, modern rooms. Spacious. Lovely views. Interesting artwork. Definitely a place that made me feel comfortable. Great location for Christmas shopping at Macys on State St., looking at the windows, Maggie Daley Park, Skating at either downtown skating options, and the mag mile. I'd love to visit again!

I have stayed at this hotel before and really enjoyed the room and the view and the pool. Everything was clean and the rooms were quiet. The bar area is nice and the staff was friendly. Unfortunately this year I chose to stay there again and I felt like I was being let down. First of all when a hotel - that doesn't seem busy in the first place - puts you into a lower level room that has not been renovated - you cannot help feeling played. I was on a schedule so I checked in and took a shower and changed clothes and had to leave shortly after. Otherwise I would have requested a room change knowing how much nicer some other rooms are. But the room wasn't nice and the carpet was dirty with actual stains on it. The bedding and bathroom were clean and it was still quiet so I had a good nights sleep. But it was just not a super nice experience. Checking in took for ever as well but to be honest the guests in front of me had a million weird questions so that wasn't really on the staff. But there was a line of quests waiting up to the front door so they could have maybe gotten an extra person to the front desk to help out at least temporarily. The location of the hotel is very convenient and it's quiet. Dining and lounge areas feel cozy. It's not like the whole thing was a bad experience but please don't send people into an oldskool room with a stained carpet unless you're 100% booked and at least give the guest a warning they're getting an old room :(

Underwhelming, overpriced, disappointing are the three words that come to mind thinking of our stay at this hotel. The hotel looks very nice, but the experience doesn't match the façade. By comparison, if this were a Holiday Inn Express it would get five stars, but this is not a hotel where the rooms are $79 a night. This a place where the valet parking alone is nearly that much per night (we did not valet park; actually it wasn't even available). So what got us to this point? Multiple things - Room not ready until 5:30 pm (2 hours after we had arrived to check -in. Check in is stated as 3:00). This got us off to a terrible start. Details at end** - Room was so smokey had to change rooms (even after the 2.5 hour delay) - Electrical outlets didn't work, hotel had to reset the breaker two different times in first 12 hours we were there - No coffee cups or pods for the coffee machine in the room - Didn't replace the room amenities throughout the stay - Not sure if the evaluators were malfunctioning but the waits were ridiculously long and there always ended up being a queue just to get on the elevator Again, all things I'd expect could happen at a budget motel and would brush aside (except for the check-in time). But this is supposed to be a luxury hotel and one of the best in Chicago. Truly just unacceptable. The location, the cleanliness and the look of the hotel - all great, but also all worthless if the service is subpar and you don't like actually being in the hotel while you are there. Very frustrating to be expected to pay champagne prices and then get beer bucket service. We won't be staying there again. Too many places in Chicago that can enhance your stay rather than detract from a visit. ** admittedly, had check-in gone better, the whole experience may have improved. When we got there and were told our room wasn't available, I asked how long. She told me 15-20 min. Fine, we waited. I went back 30 minutes later (now an hour after the stated check-in time) and she told me another 15 minutes or so. I inquired about the fact that it was now after 4:00 and our confirmation emails said we could check-in at 3:00. The front desk told me that the 3:00 time was just a "suggestion" but didn't really mean a room would be ready. WTF?!? A suggestion??? I've never heard that before. So, I did get a bit snarky and asked if that meant check-out time was also only a suggestion and we could simply leave when we were ready. And she looked at me and very sternly stated, "no sir, if you stay beyond check-out time, we'll have to charge you for another night." Again, WTF??? She did offer to put us in a different room but it would be smaller than what we had reserved with a different bed configuration. Just a total lack of customer care / service. The interaction can't be done justice in a written review but it put a terrible taste in our mouth from the start. And then the room wasn't ready for another 90 minutes. We had no where to change or get ready for our evening out and had to end up changing plans (cancelling part of them) because we had to wait so long to get in our room at the hotel. Ridiculous and unacceptable for a supposed high end hotel.

They will not have your room. Even though I booked 1 month ago...2 queen beds for 4 adults...and I have an email confirmation for said room...when we arrived they said they had no available Queen bed rooms. They only had one king and could give me a rollout!!! I asked to speak to a manager at 9:00 and there was no manager on duty. Lollapalooza is goi g on across the street. Where is the manager?!?!? Their solution after much arguing on the phone with girl at the front desk was to put me in another partner hotel. Why did this happen?? Their answer-housekeeping issue. Huh??

I always try to provide a business the opportunity to hear me out and follow up if there is an issue. The reason for my review is that even when I expressed concern, the manager didn't even take the opportunity to follow up with me. First off, I had arrived early and called to ask if there was possibility of an early check in. They told me the room wasn't ready and they would text me when it was. I asked the desk if I could drop off my bag so I could explore the city until the room was ready. They said yes and all was well. Check in is at 3pm. I was back in the neighborhood and decided to just check in to see if my room was ready at 2:30pm. When I asked she said "it's not ready yet. it'll be 45 minutes to an hour". Not sure why it would be after 3pm but I said "ok no problem". I then waited at the hotel and received a text 5 minutes later to say the room was ready. There is just no need to be rude in this situation, I was completely understanding and kind when speaking with staff. The hotel is designed well, rooms are small but decent. My bathroom was not properly cleaned with urine marks around the toilet. The balcony had no furniture and was filthy. Other than that, the bed was nice and finishes were newer. I was woken up at 9am to very aggressive banging on my door. I opened it when I heard that it was housekeeping. When I opened the door, she asked when I was checking out. Checkout at this hotel is at 12 noon. I asked the employee if this is something they normally do and she said "well yeah how do we know if people are still in the room? I gotta clean." I had been planning on sleeping in and enjoying my vacation but that was ruined by the rude and disrespectful staff. I was texted that morning asking how my experience was. I let them know I was unhappy. They said they would let the GM know and see if he WANTED to follow up with me. I've given him 5 days to follow up, not a single word. SO I guess he didn't WANT to. There are a ton of great hotels in Chicago..... I'd recommend anywhere but here.

Absolutely the worst set up for valet i have ever experienced. After an event i had to pay my valet ticket in line in back of a long line of hotel guests waiting to check in hotel. I've never seen anything like it. It took over an hour to get my car NEVER VALET AT THE RADISSON Blu Aqua in chicago.

Location is obviously the best part of this hotel. The AC didn't work in our room it was miserable. The "indoor pool" is a lap pool that's kinda gross. The workout room is cool but I think that's because it belongs to the apartments that live there. It rained in Chicago the day we visited and we put our suitcases along the window, because the rooms were so small, and in the morning everything was soaked. The windows leak. I talked to the lady at the front she just said sorry. Nothing offered to us. Our room was over $300 for one night and $54 to park. For that much I expect more. Find somewhere else to stay. It's just not that great but they are charging like it is.

CON - you walk in and it's not exactly the "setup" you think it should be. The "front desk" is not up front - it's to the left of the door, and there's a long line because everyone's checking in at the same time. Check-in SHOULD be easier and faster than this - but after about 40 minutes, we finally got into our room. CON - Doors slam pretty hard. It's not a quiet hotel by any means, either. It draws what I might consider a "party" crowd. Very loud and annoying to be so close to the elevator on a Saturday night. PRO & CON - the room is nice. Love the "hardwood" look, and even the barn door on the bathroom. What I DON'T care for is the barn door that goes EITHER to the toilet or the shower. I guess if someone's using the shower, you don't want to be using the toilet... but how hard would it really have been to put a door on the shower, door on the toilet? CON FOR SURE - On a not-so-happening Saturday night, I came down to the bar from my room in my shorts / light jacket. Waited about 15 min to get any type of service at that bar. First, the bar is not that wide. Second, if all I want is a drink, I'm not going to sit at a table. Third, I got passed aside twice- once by a male bartender and once by a female bartender, only to be second to the ticket machine that was printing out a new order. Doesn't one bartender work the tickets while the other works the bar? That's how it was when I was in the service industry... Ordered two drinks finally and put them on my room tab, and still gave a 20% tip in cash. Not even a thank you. HOLY CON!!! The fire department had 5 calls that night. Yes, the fire department I didn't know that was right next to this hotel. I guess next time I need to make sure there's nothing like that for the next hotel... PRO- Housekeeping department's customer service was UNBELIEVABLY AWESOME!!! Not enough props to that department. Very courteous on the phone, followed by quick service at our door. This is really one of the only reasons to get back into this hotel and stay another time. The elevators in this hotel take a LONG time. It would make more sense to have an extra elevator. So, would I stay here again? Probably not. 5 fire dept calls in a night is not my idea of restful sleep. I would work on the bartender's customer service. While the one bartender was making some snazzy drinks, I'd RATHER have an individual with better customer service than one using a blowtorch to add some theatrics to a drink. This hotel definitely needs to work some kinks out.

The room itself was nice but there was mold on the shower head. the next day we went to breakfast and there was a lipstick stain non the cup. My dad doesn't wear pink lipstick. we found a BEDBUG and they said we will update you. we were moved but it was the same fuckin room just on the 18th flor and not the 15th was to ruin a birthday fuckers. My dad helped build this peace of shit. he even showed us a mistake on one of the garden beds he did.

Was expecting a beautiful and relaxing day at the Radisson Blue. The initial visual felt right nice lobbying & surrounding area, but parking smelled like a pissy alleyway, the room with a city view i was told i would have upon reservation was not what i was given at all ,the elevator smells filthy carpet dirty as heck. Had to call for a/c repair,TV wouldn't work, floor was dirty, floor towel was full of stains,only a half roll of tissue, fridge is barely getting cold,not 1 trash liner nor ice bag and if you wanted to warm your food it you had to go to the 2nd floor to use the community microwave I've never felt so cheated this place is Extremely overrated in my opinion. I'm so irritated and will be reaching out to management.

Visited Chicago for my husband's birthday and, after a lot of research, chose to stay at the Radisson Blu Aqua. The building itself is gorgeous. The architecture and facade are "wow"! From the wavy exterior to the blue lights to the blue horse and that's before even entering the building! We had a slight wait at check-in, night want to add more than one person checking visitors in on a busy Saturday... The hotel was kind enough to upgrade us to a lake view suite on the 16th floor as they knew it was a birthday weekend. And, they surprised us with a lovely birthday plate of chocolates and macaroons for his birthday. Our room was very cool - it truly felt like an apartment. Two TVs, gorgeous views, and very private room location at the end of the hall. Bathroom was very high-end. Soaker tub was great! The shower was huge and hot water was quick to come out, plus a rainfall shower head. Minor complaint - we each had one large bath towel only. With very long hair, I prefer one for my hair and one for drying off after shower. Not a huge deal, though. Also, not a fan of sliding doors on bathrooms and no bathroom fans! The layout of this room meant zero privacy while in the bathroom and you could hear everything going on in the toilet area. Just don't like barn doors on bathrooms. Elevators were fast, we never had to wait. Location of hotel was terrific and we walked to our dinner location and our brunch place, too. Overall, we'd stay here again, despite the few minor issues. It's relatively expensive but definitely worth a splurge.

This was a venue for an event I recently attending and I did not stay overnight. The staff was friendly and the food was good for hotel food. It's gorgeous inside. Super grand and modernly decorated. I wish it was closer to the CTA for being such a nice hotel

Without wasting much time, it is fairly obvious this property is incredibly short-staffed, which is understandable given the state of things. While I can grin and bear that despite the high nightly rates I was paying for a room, what I can't look past is that one of their employees outright lied to me twice, for what reason I have no idea but I believe he was the night manager and his name was Scott. I checked in on a Wednesday and had my Do Not Disturb sign on most of the evening and all of the next day so I could work undisturbed. I took it off the morning of Friday, July 29th, and called Housekeeping around 930 am and requested the room to be cleaned. We were out until about 3-330 pm and came back to an unclean room. I called again and requested cleaning and they acknowledged I called already and said someone would be right up. I even double-checked that the Do Not Disturb sign was not up. We were completely out of toilet paper and clean towels at this point, so it was beyond urgent. We couldn't even go to the bathroom in the room we were paying for and had to use the public restrooms in the lobby. We left again and came back around 630-7. We needed a new key so stopped at the front desk to get one, which was my first encounter with "Scott" He made me a new key and then I asked him if they were able to clean my room and he looked and said no. I said, I called twice today and was told someone would be right up each time and then followed up with, "How many times does a guest need to call to have their rooms cleaned, toilet paper replenished and clean towels brought? Because this is the third time I am requesting it today?" He then stammered and looked back down and then came back with the reason no one came is that my Do Not Disturb sign was up all day. It was not. I asked him if he is sure about that and that if I go up right now, my do not disturb sign will be up and he said yes. I smiled and went up. I even started recording in the elevator to have proof there was no do not disturb sign up, and then sure enough when we got to the door, no sign on door and a maid was finally in there cleaning. Scott double downed on a lie rather than verify his info. I was annoyed but it was water under the bridge. The reason I am writing this review, is because of the following. My teenage nieces needed a place to stay in the city, it was Lollapalooza weekend, and I wanted to get them their own room. I tried calling the front desk multiple times between 11:30-11:59 pm. I even saw online there were several rooms available and probably should have just booked one. I went downstairs to ask the front desk about getting a room and it was my guy Scott working, and he told me they were sold out without looking. I said I was just online and it appeared several rooms were available and he kept repeating "we are sold out." Like a robot and with a look of pleasure in his eyes that he was sticking it to me once more. He said even if we weren't sold out, hotels don't sell rooms after midnight. I then told him, I tried to call front desk well before midnight and no one answered. He shrugged his shoulders, so I went across the street and booked a room at the Fairmont with no issues. For the rest of our stay, it felt like not a single service worked. We tried calling room service a few times and they said it wasn't active and to try maybe tomorrow, even though it was well within operating hours listed. I then said ok, can I pick something up and they wouldnt even let me place a takeout order. I get you might be short staffed and that while that might be the cause for a lot of the issues I had, though that lack of attention is not what I paid for or what you advertise. However, there is no excuse for Scott and his dishonest behavior and how he treated me for the rest of my stay after he was caught in a lie about the do not disturb sign being on my door. DO NOT STAY HERE. No value. Short-staffed and dishonest management

Our stay was wonderful. The hotel staff are very friendly and helpful. This hotel has a great modern decor and is extremely clean. It's a beautiful hotel. Will definitely be back for another stay.

I'm a member at this hotel and my previous stays were great but this last stay which was last night was horrible... the water wouldn't stay in the tub...there was dead bugs smeared across the ceiling.... under the bed had trash from the previous visitor... the trash cans had no bags ... the sink was stopped up ... it was just all bad

What a beautiful and trendy hotel! My boyfriend and I spent our one year anniversary in Chicago. We started planning the trip a few months prior and decided to stay at the Radisson Blu based on previous experiences from family members and the great location to everything we were looking for. We couldn't have had a better experience during our 2 night stay! I loved how modern aesthetic of the entire hotel. The exposed brick and small art gallery definitely got some bonus points from me. Charles at the front desk was extremely kind and welcoming. He helped check us in early on Friday and was more than happy to answer any questions we had. He also helped snap a picture of my boyfriend and I (since it's kind of difficult to do when you're just with each other!) We opted for a king room with a balcony. Unfortunately our view was underwhelming, but that didn't discourage us. The king size bed was heavenly! The fluffy comforter and sheets made it seem like I was on a cloud. If we didn't have so much sight seeing to do, I would've been completely okay with staying in that bed all weeekend! The bathroom was also amazing. Counter space was limited, but the large shower more than made up for it! The sliding doors for the shower, toilet, and bathroom were a nice touch. Because we were going to a nice dinner while in the city, we also loved the spacious closet space. More than enough for a few nights for a couple. Parking was $120 for 2 nights, so we opted to use Park Whiz to find a lot a tad cheaper (303 E Wacker Garage, which was $80 for 2 nights) The Radisson Blu is within walking distance from everything! There's even a CVS next door in case you run out of anything. Fridges are available upon request. Can't wait to return again one day!