Dow Chemical has a significant presence in the Midwest, and Chicago is one of those cities you'll end up visiting repeatedly for client meetings, conferences, or cross-functional team sessions. The Radisson Blu Aqua sits right in the middle of the Lakeshore East neighborhood, which means you're minutes from both the Loop financial district and Millennium Park. Code WP1700 knocks around $42 off a standard night before you even count the Radisson Rewards points kicking back to your account.
The Property
The Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel occupies the first 18 floors of the Aqua Tower, the Jeanne Gang-designed skyscraper at 221 N Columbus Dr, just two blocks east of Michigan Avenue. The neighborhood is a pocket of newer development between the lakefront and the Chicago River, quiet at night but walkable to virtually everything in the Loop. With a 4.2 rating across over 3,200 reviews, it consistently ranks as one of the better upscale business hotels in the area.
Rooms at the Blu tier tend to run 300 to 350 square feet for a standard king, with floor-to-ceiling windows that face either the lake or the city skyline. Each room includes a proper work desk with ergonomic chair, complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi, and a Nespresso machine. Suites and premium lake-view rooms are available if you want to upgrade, though the corporate rate on a standard room is already a strong deal.
The hotel features a heated indoor lap pool on the mezzanine level and a well-equipped fitness center open 24 hours. Filini Bar and Restaurant on the ground floor serves Italian-influenced dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which is convenient when you don't want to wander far after a long day. There is no airport shuttle, but the hotel's front desk will arrange car service, and the Blue Line CTA station at Grand is about a 12-minute walk.
Millennium Park and the Art Institute are both within a 10-minute walk, which is useful if you're entertaining clients or killing time before an evening flight. For dining beyond the hotel, you're close to the concentration of restaurants along Wacker Drive and East Illinois Street, including RPM Italian and Wildberry Pancakes. The Metra station at Millennium Park and multiple CTA bus routes on Michigan Avenue make getting around the city easy without a rental car.
Your Savings Breakdown
| Rate Tier | Rack Rate | Corporate Rate | Points Earned | Point Value | Net Cost | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $170 | $145 | 2,900 pts | $11.60 | $133.40 | $36.60 |
| Superior | $280 | $238 | 4,760 pts | $19.04 | $218.96 | $61.04 |
| Premium | $450 | $383 | 7,660 pts | $30.64 | $352.36 | $97.64 |
Here's how the math works on a typical night: a $280 rack rate drops to $238 with code WP1700, saving you $42 upfront. You then earn 4,760 Radisson Rewards points on that $238 stay, and at 0.4 cents per point those are worth about $19.04 back to you. That brings your effective net cost down to $218.96, meaning you're pocketing $61.04 in total value compared to booking at the public rate.
How to Book with Code WP1700
- Go to radissonrewards.com and log in to your Radisson Rewards account, or create one if you haven't already
- Enter Chicago, IL as your destination along with your check-in and check-out dates
- Look for the Special or Corporate rate field on the search page before you hit search
- Enter code WP1700 in the corporate code field
- Compare the corporate rate against the standard rate in the results, confirm it's lower, then complete your booking
Stack Your Savings
If you hold Radisson Rewards Gold or Platinum status, those perks apply on top of the WP1700 corporate rate. That means you can still get room upgrades when available, late checkout, and the bonus points multiplier. Gold members earn 25% more points per stay and Platinum members earn 50% more, so that 4,760-point earn on a $238 night could jump to 5,950 or 7,140 points respectively without doing anything extra.
For credit cards, the Radisson Rewards Visa earns 10 additional points per dollar spent at Radisson properties, which would stack on top of the 20 base points. If you don't carry that card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Amex Gold both code hotel spending at elevated earn rates in their travel categories. Pay with whichever card gives you the best return on hotel spend to squeeze more value from the same $238 charge.
Radisson Rewards runs periodic promotions, usually quarterly, offering bonus points for completing a set number of stays or consecutive nights. Check the promotions tab in your Radisson Rewards dashboard before each trip and register for any active offers. Booking midweek, especially Tuesday through Thursday, tends to yield better rate availability for the corporate code since leisure travelers push weekend demand higher.
Bottom Line: Depending on the night and season, Dow Chemical employees using WP1700 at the Radisson Blu Aqua can expect total savings between roughly $36 and $97 per night when you combine the discounted rate with Radisson Rewards points earned. The hotel's location between the lakefront and the Loop makes it one of the most practical business hotels in Chicago, close to everything without being stuck in the noise of the Mag Mile. If you're traveling to Chicago regularly on Dow business, this is a reliable pick that rewards you a little more each time.