| Palmer House - A Hilton Hotel | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Palmer House Hotel | |
| Location | 17 E Monroe Street,Chicago,Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°52′49″N87°37′37″W / 41.880344°N 87.626910°W /41.880344; -87.626910 |
| Area | Chicago Loop |
| Built | 1871 |
| Rebuilt | 1923–1925 |
| Architect | John M. Van Osdel (2nd) Holabird & Roche (current) |
| Designated | December 13, 2006 |
  Location of Palmer House - A Hilton Hotel in Chicago metropolitan area | |
ThePalmer House – A Hilton Hotel is a historic hotel inChicago'sLoop area, the third by that name. The first opened in 1870, and the present building in 1925. In the 19th century, the Palmer House was the city's first hotel with elevators, and the first hotel with electric light bulbs and telephones in the guest rooms. The hotel has been dubbed the longest continuously operating hotel in North America, although it temporarily closed in 2020-2021, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[1][2] It is a member of theHistoric Hotels of America[3] program of theNational Trust for Historic Preservation.
The first Palmer House was built as a wedding present fromPotter Palmer to his brideBertha Honoré. Located at State and Quincy,[4] it opened on September 26, 1870.[5] It burned one year later on October 9, 1871, during theGreat Chicago Fire. Palmer had already begun construction of a new hotel at State and Monroe prior to the disaster.[6][7]
The secondPalmer House Hotel was a seven story, 225 room structure designed by architectJohn M. Van Osdel. Its amenities included oversized rooms, luxurious decor, and sumptuous meals served in grand style. The floor of its barber shop was tiled and silver dollars were embedded in a diamond pattern.
Construction began on September 26, 1871, thirteen days before the Great Chicago Fire. It was completed in 1875, and widely advertised as "The World's Only Fire Proof Hotel."[8] Famous visitors included presidential hopefulsJames Garfield,Grover Cleveland,Ulysses S. Grant,William Jennings Bryan, andWilliam McKinley; writersMark Twain,L. Frank Baum, andOscar Wilde; actressesSarah Bernhardt andEleonora Duse, and French cabaret singerYvette Guilbert in 1897.[citation needed] An 1895 meeting at the hotel of faculty representatives from various Midwestern universities resulted in the founding of theBig Ten Conference.
The current Palmer House was built in the early to mid- 1920s. By that time the business in downtown Chicago could support a much larger hotel, and the Palmer Estate hiredHolabird & Roche to design a new 25-story facility with well over 1,000 rooms. Between 1923 and 1925, a new structure went up on the same site.[9]
In December 1945,Conrad Hilton bought the Palmer House for $20 million (equivalent to $349 million in 2024),[10] thereafter known as The Palmer House Hilton. In 2005, Hilton sold the property toThor Equities, but retained management through the Hilton chain.[11]
The architecture firms ofLoebl Schlossman & Hackl and David Fleener Architects completely renovated and restored the hotel between 2007 and 2009.[12] The total cost was over $170 million (equivalent to $249 million in 2024).[10][13] The hotel has a total of 1,639 guest rooms, second in the city only to theHyatt Regency Chicago.[14] It has recently had its name adjusted to Palmer House - A Hilton Hotel.
Entertainers who have appeared at the Palmer House's Empire Room have includedFrank Sinatra,Judy Garland,Liberace,Ella Fitzgerald,Maurice Chevalier,Lena Horne,Nat King Cole,Louis Armstrong,Harry Belafonte,Sammy Davis Jr.,Peggy Lee,Carol Channing,Bobby Darin,Jimmy Durante,Sonny & Cher,Liza Minnelli,Dionne Warwick,Sophie Tucker,Tommy Dorsey,Phyllis Diller,Lou Rawls,Shep Fields (1930s)[15][16]Dick Gregory (1963),Frankie Laine (1963),Josh White (1966),Tony Bennett (1968),Florence Henderson (1968),Donald O'Connor (1971),Jerry Lewis (1971),The Supremes (1971 & 1972),Jane Powell (1972),Lorna Luft (1972),Trini Lopez (1973),The Lettermen (1973) and many others.
The hotel closed in March 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. In August 2020,Wells Fargo filed suit against Thor Equities for defaulting on a $333 million commercial mortgage (equivalent to $405 million in 2024).[10][1][17][18]
The hotel reopened on June 17, 2021, following a series of upgrades to its interior, including a renovation to its indoor pool.[2]
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