Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago

I stayed at the Radisson Blu Aqua for a work trip and really enjoyed it. The location is hard to beat—close to the Riverwalk, Millennium Park, and plenty of great food options. The rooms were clean, comfortable, and had a nice modern design with great views of the city. The staff was friendly and professional, and check-in was quick. The fitness center and pool area were also a nice bonus, especially compared to most hotels in the area. The only reason I didn’t give five stars is due to the bed comfort wasn’t the best (spring coils) and parking was not as convenient, along with cleanliness of HVAC in the room and noise pollution from being in Downtown. Otherwise, it’s a great place to stay in downtown Chicago and I’d definitely return.

I recently stayed at the Radisson Blu for my birthday from December 21 (Sunday) to December 22 (Monday), and I want to highlight one exceptional team member who truly stood out — Hassan, the doorman. From the very first moment, Hassan made us feel genuinely welcome. He helped with our luggage and went far beyond what was expected: explaining nearby places, how everything in the hotel works, breakfast options, and anticipating needs before we even asked. His attention to detail, warmth, and professionalism were remarkable. During checkout on December 22, when I was unsure about where to leave my luggage and the front desk offered little guidance, Hassan immediately stepped in, explained everything clearly, reassured me, and took care of the situation with ease and confidence. He noticed what was needed before being asked — a rare and valuable talent. Hassan has outstanding people skills and a natural leadership presence. He would be an excellent fit for a guest-facing leadership or management role. Employees like him are the reason guests remember a hotel and want to return. Unfortunately, my experience with the front desk was the opposite — quite cold and impersonal, lacking the same level of care and attentiveness. I sincerely hope Hassan receives recognition for his work, as he represents hospitality at its best.

I’ll be honest, after reading some mixed reviews I was a little nervous, but my stay at the Radisson turned out really nice. The customer service was great everyone I interacted with was friendly and welcoming. We ordered room service and the food was actually good! It didn’t taste processed at all. I had the steak, potatoes, and asparagus, and everything was seasoned well. The only thing I would point out is housekeeping. Whoever handles that area might want to pay closer attention to detail. There was noticeable dust on the blinds and lamps, and when I wiped down a few areas with my own disinfectant wipes, the spots came up pretty easily. It wasn’t anything that made me uncomfortable, but a deeper clean or updated cleaning products could really make a difference. Overall, we truly enjoyed our stay. I’d definitely recommend the hotel, but I’d also suggest they invest in a deeper clean and maybe update some of the room furniture to keep up the ambiance. Otherwise, it’s a solid stay with great service.

The staff was wonderful- very friendly & helpful. The atmosphere is contemporary & cool. Our room looked great but there were little things that made it not great. The lights (in room) were a bit challenging to figure out as the labels were rubbed off, the tub spigot didn’t work either. Had to fill tub with shower head. No exhaust fan in bathroom & due to hard flooring everywhere there were many echoes & it was loud. Great location to walk & view of river was nice thru buildings

Great hotel, clean. My only gripe/complaint is that there are no updated pictures of the gym/fitness center on the website. The only picture currently on there and also description on the website mentioned and highlighted cardio equipment. The gym is BEAUTIFUL and has every machine for all your fitness needs. No need to leave the hotel for a solid workout. There are rowers/stair masters/treadmills/ellipticals. There is a great free weight section, squat rack, solid machines. Just unfortunate that there is no updated info/pics on the hotel website.

Our Perspective As someone who owns and manages three restaurants in the Chicago suburbs and oversees events at all three, I understand what seamless execution should look like. We are also from Italy, and food was the most important element of our wedding, so we had very high standards going into the process. We hosted a 400 person wedding in February 2026. Here are our thoughts: The Venue Coordinator: Tara Tara, the hotel wedding coordinator, was absolutely exceptional. From start to finish, she went above and beyond. On the day of the wedding, she was somehow everywhere at once, making sure every detail was handled on her end, and every guest was taken care of. We had breakfast with champagne, full bars in the getting ready room, flawless setup for bride and hair/makeup team, and every moving part executed without us having to ask for a single thing. She truly micromanaged the details, in the best possible way. Working with our hired wedding coordinators on every detail. That level of oversight is exactly what you need on a day with so many moving pieces. Her presence gave us complete peace of mind. The Food Food was our number one priority, and the venue exceeded our expectations. From the passed hors d’oeuvres to the salad, pasta course, and filet duo entrée, everything was excellent. The food came out HOT, which is very important and hard to achieve. The staff dropped each course professionally, without those banquet catering lids that you often see. The quality, temperature, presentation, and timing were all on point. We received countless compliments from family and friends, many of whom are very particular about food, which meant everything to us. The Service and Staff The service team deserves just as much recognition. From the bartender Milos to Captain Miguel, along with the bellhop and front desk staff, every single person we interacted with was professional, attentive, and kind. There were even instances where guests accidentally left wedding envelopes behind, and the staff immediately returned them to our coordinators. That level of honesty and attentiveness speaks volumes. Our out-of-town guests and family/friends that stayed at the hotel also had a wonderful experience. The rooms were gorgeous and spotless. I had read prior reviews mentioning cleanliness concerns, so I personally followed up with many of our guests who stayed at the hotel, and not one had a complaint. Final Thoughts The Radisson Blu exceeded our expectations in every category, coordination, food, service, and accommodations. As someone in hospitality, I can confidently say they delivered at a very high level, and I would absolutely recommend this venue to any couple looking for a well run and memorable wedding experience. 4-star Hotel with service better than some 5-star Hotels I’ve attended!

Full disclosure, I am a loyal Bon Voy member but I stayed here because this was the conference hotel. There’s construction happening on Columbus so many ride-share drives experience issues when trying to get to the property. The location is a shared residential/hotel space situation so that may be a bit confusing for some as well. Check-in with Gigi was fairly easy and my room was just “ok”. My heat didn’t turn on so I froze while trying to sleep, then in the morning the sink didn’t drain and the ironing board completely collapsed when I tried to open it to press my pants. I went downstairs to share my experience with the front desk and Jasmine worked with Gigi to get me into another room. When I got to that room, the floors under the beds had trash and dirt under them so back downstairs I went, and they put me into a third room. This one had a small balcony and was the exact same floor plan as the previous two (not sure why they thought I needed double beds each time). The heat, ironing board and sink worked so I was happy. I did enjoy a complimentary lunch at the hotel restaurant for my troubles, I had the duck confit flatbread, it was ok. My colleague had a different flatbread which was better. The conference facilities/meeting rooms were great and the serve staff was friendly. The main ball room was freezing, even the guys were cold, but that’s the case with most of these conferences, I guess they’re trying to keep us awake lol. The lobby is a nice vibe and nice spot to hang and catch up with folks. The location is excellent! Walking distance to the Bean (the cloud), the museum, the river, the ferry building, downtown, great restaurants and lots of shopping. While I wouldn’t stay here again because of my Marriott status, if you are looking for a spot to get a good night’s sleep while you explore the Windy City, this could do the trick.

My 3 kids and I stayed here for my bday weekend 12/27-12/28. We had such a great time! My son absolutely loved the basketball court! My other 2 kids and I played cards and pool most of the night. Such a great location, from Millennium Park to Mag mile, there was always something to do. We definitely had a great time and I'm sure we'll be back!