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The Palmer House: Next Door to Everything

In light of the recent news that the Palmer House Hotel faces a $338 million foreclosure suit , CHM staff members take a look back at its three iterations.

The Palmer House Hotel was long the pinnacle of grandeur and luxury in Chicago and was for decades the hotel of choice for visiting presidents, dignitaries, and businesspeople. The crown jewel in the holdings of department store mogul turned real-estate developer Potter Palmer , it was a wedding present to his wife, Bertha.

The First Palmer House (1870) On September 26, 1870, the first Palmer House opened for business at State and Quincy Streets. With 225 rooms, its furnishings alone cost $100,000, or half the construction cost. An additional Palmer House was under construction nearby, but both structures were destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire on October 8, 1871.

The Second Palmer House (1873–1923) Palmer quickly rebuilt on the same site, employing calcium lights so workers could press on through the night. The resulting seven-story, $13 million hotel designed by architect John M. Van Osdel opened on November 8, 1873, marking the start of what became known as the nation’s longest continually operating hotel.

The hotel was filled with Italian marble and rare mosaics and was so ornate that it was alternately mocked and praised. Like many Chicago buildings in the late nineteenth century, the Palmer House claimed to be fireproof.

The Palmer House not only served transient visitors but also appealed to wealthy permanent residents who found in the palace hotel a convenient way to set up trouble-free, elegant households.

This ornate headboard (1873)  on the right was part of a bridal suite in the second Palmer House. Made of ebonized and gilded black walnut in a Renaissance style, the headboard was surmounted by a French-style canopy. It was made by W. W. Strong Furniture Co., Chicago’s premier furniture dealer and manufacturer of the 1870s. You can find it on display in  Chicago: Crossroads of America .

The Third Palmer House (1925–present) The economic boom and population growth of the 1920s and Chicago’s increasing attractiveness as a convention city led to a perceived shortfall in hotel rooms. Thus, the Palmer Estate decided to raze the Palmer House for a new $20 million rendition on the same site. Designed by the firm Holabird & Roche and built during 1923–25, its twenty-five stories housed 2,268 rooms and for a very short time held the record as the world’s largest hotel.

As with many luxury hotels, the Palmer House boasted a grand lobby, monumental staircases, bridal suites, dining rooms, ballrooms, a bar, and a barbershop.

In 1933, Palmer House converted its Empire Dining Room into an entertainment venue and supper club. Before air travel was common, Chicago was a popular stopping point for celebrities traveling by train between New York and Los Angeles, and the Palmer House saw its share of big-name entertainers, including Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Belafonte, Louis Armstrong, and Liberace.

While its hotel rooms are standard upscale fare, the Palmer House’s palatial lobby, conceived as a European drawing room, remains one of the most magnificent in the world.

Eclipsed in the 1980s by posh hotels on North Michigan Avenue closer to fine shopping, the Palmer House—a part of the Hilton Hotel chain since 1945—continued to attract guests because of its proximity to the Loop business district, the Art Institute of Chicago, and downtown theaters.

Palmer House Hotel

Experience the glamour, intrigue and excitement of the bygone "Grand Hotel" era at the Palmer House. See recently restored public spaces and renovated guest rooms while learning about the history of Chicago’s oldest continually operating hotel.

The Palmer House is truly a magical place! The hotel has received numerous awards for its multimillion-dollar restoration and renovation, completed in 2008. Learn about the history of the Palmers and view some elaborate areas of the hotel that reflect Classical Revival style, Art Deco design and some French Empire and Rococo influences.

• Many tours sell out. To guarantee your space advance reservations are strongly recommended.
• Your safety is our priority. The itinerary of this tour may be altered in accordance with health and safety policies and considerations.
• Ticket price includes entrance to the Chicago Architecture Center within 7 days of your tour. View the CAC's hours .

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Upcoming Palmer House Hotel Tours

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Palmer house a hilton hotel.

Located in Loop

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17 E. Monroe St., Chicago IL 60603

Get directions

• www.palmerhousehiltonhotel.com
• (312) 726-7500
• (312) 621-7321
• (312) 917-1707

North America’s most iconic and famed hotel invites you through its legendary peacock doors to celebrate over 150 years of hospitality and taste the original brownie, which was invented here. Splash at the new indoor pool, sip cocktails in the awe-inspiring lobby, and de-stress at The Spa at Palmer House.

Special offer: Adler Planetarium Package

Celebrate with the cosmically curated Adler Planetarium Package at one of Chicago’s top attractions. Get ready to explore the universe. Includes overnight accommodation and up to 4 general admission digital passes to Adler Planetarium.

Special offer: Adler Planetarium Passes

Celebrate with the cosmically curated Adler Planetarium Package at one of Chicago’s top attractions. Get ready to explore the universe with overnight accommodation and up to 4 general admission digital passes to Adler Planetarium.

Special offer: Breakfast Included

With special rates and complimentary breakfasts for two – from healthy to decadent – the Breakfast Included package is the perfect way for you to relax and recharge.

Special offer: Call Dibs on Parking

Enjoy cool savings when you reserve accommodations with parking and bottomless hot coffee & cocoa or iced coffee & tea included with your stay at Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel for stays over available dates now through the end of April 2024.

Special offer: Chocolate Lovers Package

Celebrate the birthplace of this sweet confection, The Brownie. Experience Inclusions: 2 Palmer House Brownies, 2 Brownie Old Fashioned Cocktails, 2 Bertha’s Brownie Lattes for takeaway at Lockwood Express, 1 slice of Brownie Cheesecake to share.

Special offer: Scoop Up Savings

Book a program to take place in 2024 (April, Sept, Oct) and/or 2025 (April, Aug, Sept, Oct.) to receive: • Receive up to $5,000 master account credit for production costs • Receive up to $2,500 master account electrical power credit Plus more!

Add Link To Your Sustainability Page https://www.palmerhousehiltonhotel.com/about-our-hotel/sustainability/

Third Party Certifications or Recognition N/A

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Food Composting Program

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Arrange Transportation

Wheelchair Accessible

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Technical Tours

Group Lodging

Number of Sleeping Rooms 1588

Complimentary Newspaper

Indoor Pool

Pet-friendly

Club/Executive Level Floor

Business Center

Express Check-In/Check-Out

Bell Services

Number of Suites 53

Number of ADA-Compliant Rooms 49

Spa Both On-site & Nearby

In-Room High-Speed Availability Fee

Exercise Facility On-site

Luggage Service Fee $5.50/bag roundtrip

Complimentary Room Policy Varies

In-Room Wi-Fi Availability Complimentary

Total Number of Guest Rooms 1641

In-Room iPod Docking Station

Connecting Rooms Available

In-room Safe

Room Service

In-Room Iron/Ironing Board

In-room Mini Bar

In-Room Hair Dryer

Number of Kings 1038

Number of Double/Doubles 601

Motorcoach Parking Off-site

Group Policy

Separate Group Entrance

Team Building Programs

Group Capacity 2000

Team Building Activities Offered

Minimum Group Number 10

Maximum Room Block 1544

Maximum Group Number 2000

Group Discounts Available

Virtual Tour https://www.palmerhousehiltonhotel.com/photo-gallery/virtual-tour/

Number of Holes 18

Golf Nearby

Miles from O'Hare Airport 15.0

Miles from Midway Airport 12.0

Miles from Navy Pier 1.6

Miles from McCormick Place 2.4

American Express

Student Group Friendly

Valet Parking Available

Reservation Cancellation Policy At this time, weu2019re allowing all reservations made from now – June 30, 2020 to be changed or cancelled at no charge, up to 24 hours (local time) before scheduled arrival.

Reservations Accepted

Public Space Wi-Fi Available

Restaurant(s) On-site

Concierge Service

ATM Machine On-site

ADA Compliant

Public Space Wi-Fi COMP or Fee Complimentary

Self-Parking Available Both On-site & Off-site

Food On-site Restaurant

Number of Retail Stores 8

Number of Restaurants On-site 2

Minimum Age 18

Family-friendly

Military Discount

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Buy-out Max Capacity 2000

Preferred Catering Providers

Total Square Footage of Exhibit Space 16909

Number of Meeting Rooms 77

Largest Room, Theater Capacity 1500

Largest Room, Reception Capacity (Standing) 1653

Largest Room, Classroom Capacity 750

Largest Room, Banquet Capacity (Seated) 1300

Largest Room, Ceiling Height 29.0

Exhibit Space Available

Largest Room, Max Capacity 1653

Largest Room, Square Footage 12866

On-Site Catering

On-site Audio/Visual Equipment

Complete Buy-out Available

Max Capacity, Theater Style 1500

Max Capacity, Reception Style (Standing) 1653

Max Capacity, Classroom Style 750

Max Capacity, Banquet Style (Seated) 1300

Video Conferencing Available

Total Square Footage of Meeting Space 130000

Max Venue Capacity 1690

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Group Breakfast Available

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At Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel all of our rooms feature just the right touches to make you feel at home. From standard rooms to luxurious suites, you’ll find the comforts and conveniences you need for a memorable stay.

Take a captivating Virtual Tour and experience accommodations from the comfort of your own screen.

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Take a Walk Back in Time at Chicago's Oldest Hotel

We have a soft spot for history tours, especially when they start and end at gilded 19th-century hotels.

CHICAGO – I travel for stories that local people, buildings, and food have to share. A recent tour of Palmer House Hilton , the oldest hotel in Chicago, delivered on all three.

The History is Hott tour, led by resident historian Ken Price, started in the hotel’s museum, a tiny room tucked away on the mezzanine level. Every available surface was covered with hotel memorabilia: black-and-white photos, newspaper clippings, old menus, painted portraits, and the priceless artifacts that Price has amassed in 32 years studying the hotel’s 140-plus-year history.

This is where Price introduced us to Potter Palmer, the son of a humble cloth tradesman from Albany, New York. Armed with a fourth-grade education and his father’s life savings, Palmer moved west to a swampy town ("Chicago" is translation of “shikaakwa,” the Miami-Illinois word for “smelly onion”) in the middle of America to make a name for himself.

In 1871, Palmer gave his new wife, Bertha Honoré, the world’s best wedding gift: the Palmer House hotel. It was also the world’s shortest-lived wedding present: The building burned down thirteen days after their wedding in the Great Chicago Fire.

With Bertha’s encouragement — and a $1.7 million loan — Palmer constructed a second hotel across the street from the original. Opened in 1873, the new Palmer House was a pioneer for its many architectural and engineering feats. Advertised as the world’s first fireproof hotel, the building also had the city’s first elevators — paving way for the many skyscrapers that now make up Chicago’s iconic skyline.

Bertha Honoré Palmer was no wallflower. One of the few women at the time to receive a university education, she became one of Chicago’s most influential women. In 1893, Bertha was appointed head of the Board of Lady Managers for the World’s Columbian Exposition. An early feminist, she hired one of America’s first licensed female architect, Sophia Hayden, to design the women’s building.

Fun fact: During the 1893 World’s Fair, Bertha requested the Palmer House chefs to create a dessert that was filling but small enough to fit into a boxed lunch. The result: the brownie. Yes, we have Bertha to thank for this little bit of deliciousness. (You can try the original recipe — which includes walnuts and an apricot glaze — at any of the hotel’s restaurants.)

Bertha was also an avid collector of French Impressionist paintings. She later donated almost all of them to  Art Institute of Chicago , making the museum home to one of the world’s most important Impressionist collections outside France.

After the introduction to the illustrious couple, we toured the hotel’s public spaces. We marveled at the breathtaking ceiling fresco and the 24-karat gold Tiffany chandeliers in the lobby. We climbed the grand staircase into the Empire Room, which in its heyday hosted some of entertainment’s best, including Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and Louis Armstrong. We stepped into the grand ballroom — Mark Twain gave his famous 2 a.m. speech here at the welcome back party for General Ulysses S. Grant in 1879 — and the opulent Red Lacquer Room, complete with garnet-draped chandeliers.

At the end of the tour, I was full of history and delicious brownies. Ken Price sent us on our way to the nearby Art Institute of Chicago to look for the Palmer’s donated pieces and marble busts of the couple.

Take the Tour

Tickets include a prix-fixe lunch at Lockwood and a History is Hott tour with Ken Price. Tours begin at noon Tuesday through Saturday. Click here for reservations .

Checking In

Palmer House , a Hilton hotel, is located in the middle of downtown Chicago, a block away from the Millennium Park crowds. Look out for the stunning marquee on the East Monroe Street entrance. Not to give away any spoilers, but you'll want to have you phone out when you emerge from the escalators / staircase into the opulent lobby. Such a stunning ceiling fresco. So much gold. The executive suites at the hotel have their own private elevator banks, and if you're the type that's looking to avoid as much human interactions as possible (why??), download and join the Hilton Honors program to check in and out and to get your digital keys through the app.

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Room features and guest services

• Concierge services
• Internet access
• Luggage storage
• View (urban)
• Extended stay
• Onsite catering
• Onsite gift shop
• Onsite restaurant
• Onsite security
• Pet friendly

Business services

• Business center

AV capabilities

• Onsite AV staff

Recreational activities

• Health club
• Indoor pool
• Outdoor pool
• Spa or salon

Venue accessibility

• Dance floor
• Loading dock

Distance from airport

12 mi. from venue

• Paid parking $52.00 / day
• Valet parking $75.00 / day

Palmer House a Hilton Hotel Meeting Space

Floor plans, guest rooms, local attractions, united center, theater district, us cellular field, millennium park, wrigley field, museum campus, field museum.

Celebrating over 150 years as North America’s most established hotel and emblem of Chicago hospitality, expect your event — large or small —to be transformed into one that’s not only talked about but remembered. From the historic Empire Room to smaller salon settings, your experience will be one met with historical distinction, coupled with technology, convenience, and the customized support required to make any event a success. Create buzz through inventive culinary and cocktail presentations; spark intrigue with ingenuity through the utilization of hybrid technology + innovative meeting room configurations; and above all, give your organization a successful platform to connect. HIGHLIGHTS: • Over 150 Years Rich in History: The famed Peacock doors serve as an emblem of open hospitality at North America's Most Distinguished Hotel. As America’s most seasoned hotel, The Palmer House was the first to incorporate the light bulb, elevator, and telephone, as well as the creators of the brownie. You’ll experience the continued commitment to staying ahead of the innovation curve while preserving historic integrity. • Meetings that Connect: Five ballrooms, 77 breakout rooms, and an exhibit hall totaling over 130,000 square feet • Connect: On-site audio/visual representatives and technology center • Key Location: Located in the Loop – Chicago’s business, financial and theater district – and on the bus route to McCormick Place Convention Center as well as top Chicago destinations such as the Art Institute of Chicago, State Street shopping, Millennium Park, and plentiful public transportation • Central Standard: Ease of access from coast to coast, with two airports and nearly 3,000 inbound flights per day • Power Dining: Catering with a reputation. Lockwood Restaurant for breakfast, Lockwood Lobby Bar for cocktails & shared plates, Lockwood Express for gourmet on-the-go, and burgers, craft beers & retro concoctions at Potter’s Chicago Burger Bar will keep your attendees close and fulfilled • Hospitality Leader: Ranked 25 among the “Top 100 Meeting Hotels in the United States” by Cvent • Rejuvenation: Complimentary fitness center access, complimentary pool access, and an on-site spa • Value: Ask about the valued added first quarter offer and other promotions • Take a Virtual Tour: https://visitingmedia.com/tt8/?ttid=palmer-house-a-hilton-hotel#/3d-model

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Shift Your Focus to Palmer House Apartment Homes

Palmer House Apartment Homes is more than easy on the eyes. Take a look through our virtual gallery of images and get a sneak peek of our luxury community. A modern one or two bedroom apartment in New Albany just isn’t complete without a full blend of indoor-outdoor amenities and an incredible neighborhood. Choose Palmer House.

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4121 Palmer Park Cir E New Albany , OH 43054

567-221-0732

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855-483-1338

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Imagine the possibilities awaiting you at Palmer House. Our 3D technology highlights all of the features of our modern apartment interiors and luxurious community exteriors.

240 Stadium Way

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Moscow Metro

The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours’ itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin’s regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as “a people’s palace”. Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics, stained glass, bronze statues… Our Moscow metro tour includes the most impressive stations best architects and designers worked at - Ploshchad Revolutsii, Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya and some others.

What is the kremlin in russia?

The guide will not only help you navigate the metro, but will also provide you with fascinating background tales for the images you see and a history of each station.

And there some stories to be told during the Moscow metro tour! The deepest station - Park Pobedy - is 84 metres under the ground with the world longest escalator of 140 meters. Parts of the so-called Metro-2, a secret strategic system of underground tunnels, was used for its construction.

During the Second World War the metro itself became a strategic asset: it was turned into the city's biggest bomb-shelter and one of the stations even became a library. 217 children were born here in 1941-1942! The metro is the most effective means of transport in the capital.

There are almost 200 stations 196 at the moment and trains run every 90 seconds! The guide of your Moscow metro tour can explain to you how to buy tickets and find your way if you plan to get around by yourself.