The lobby features a 50-foot-long fireplace surrounded by strands of brass rosettes.

Set like a jewel into 18 floors of the famed Aqua at Lakeshore East is the new Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago, the first North American entry of the Radisson Blu brand for Carlson hotels. The Chicago outpost was built in conjunction with local real estate powerhouse Magellan Development Group LLC, which has earned global accolades for its 82-story residential and commercial skyscraper designed by starchitect Jeanne Gang.

  FROM TOP: The Filini bar features a mezzanine with overhanging banquette boxes; Architect Jeanne Gang designed the Aqua at Lakeshore East building, now home to the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago.

Since the Aqua at Lakeshore East’s completion in 2010, Magellan has been looking for just the right hotel partner. Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. set its sights on a suites concept, but the project lost its funding, which gave Carlson the opportunity to make Blu’s splashy American debut. And the setting couldn’t be more ideal: The building sits on a sunlit corner of Lakeshore East, an area bustling with green space, shops, and restaurants; sophisticated neighbors; a new two-story Mariano’s Fresh Market; and the convenience of Millennium Park and Michigan Avenue just down the block.

While most travelers know Radisson as a mainline business chain, a tour of Blu makes the “R” word, and any preconceived notions, quickly fade. The Blu brand is known overseas for its distinctive look—each of its more than 200 hotels has its own take on the brand’s contemporary aesthetic—and hi-tech boutique feel at prices that are slightly lower than those of most luxury hotel brands.

For the Chicago location, designer Jim Hamilton of Graven Images created the public areas and the meeting and event facilities with a subtle nod to the city’s roots. “Some of the things that influenced me were not the obvious moves but little snippets and experiences like shadows of the bridges when viewed from underneath, castiron street furnishings that link back to Chicago’s amazing heritage with the steel foundries, and also the vistas from below the towering buildings,” Hamilton says. The selection of colors and materials is strong and soft with warm browns and grays offset by touches of metallic sheen and plenty of clean white. Locally commissioned maps and murals dot the halls and meeting rooms.

In the lobby, designer Randa Fahmy produced striking Egyptian brass rosette strands in Cairo to create a glowing curtain around the 50-foot-long fireplace. Steel mesh coverings line the walls of the meeting and ballrooms areas, and floor-toceiling windows and views of Lake Michigan offer stunning backdrops for events—and a welcome distraction to long meeting days. The mink-gray and silver carpet features close-up patterns inspired by the city, while the Raimond lights by Moooi sparkle above the party rooms.

“The space celebrates the engineering and craftsmanship that became an historic hallmark of great Chicago design,” says Hamilton. Heavy steelwork abounds in the hotel, including for an internal “street” that serves as the mezzanine for the Filini bar, with overhanging banquette boxes. (Design aside, the brick-oven pizzas and paninis at Italian restaurant Filini are sure to lure locals.)

The guest rooms were designed by Christian Lundwall in two distinct styles: Mansion House and Naturally Cool. Mansion House rooms are finished in deep timber tones, with chrome, black marble, and deep turquoise flooring, offering a dark, “clubby” aura. Naturally Cool rooms are clean and modern, with layers of whites, wide-plank wood flooring, white baths, and chrome fixtures and lighting.

While the hotel guests and condominium residents at Aqua Tower have separate entrances, they share many of the common areas and amenities. The property boasts an 80,000-square-foot green roof and recreation deck, screening room, lap pool, running trail, indoor basketball court, spa treatment rooms and sauna, fire pits and grills—all of which are available to guests and residents. The Blu has already booked many of its spaces for upcoming parties, making it a stage that’s perfectly set for international and local revelers alike. Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago, 221 N. Columbus Dr., 312-565-5258; radissonblu.com/aquahotel-chicago