in
Copenhagen, designed by
Arne Jacobsen.
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. 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==