The Palmer House Hilton
| Company type | Hotel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Predecessor | Palmer House (original hotel, 1870) |
| Founded | September 26, 1870 in Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Founder | Potter Palmer |
| Successor | Palmer House (second hotel, 1875), Current Palmer House (1925) |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Chicago, Illinois |
| Products | Hotel accommodations and services |
| Owner | Hilton Worldwide (management) |
| Parent | Hilton Hotels & Resorts |
| Website | www |
The Palmer House – A Hilton Hotel stands as a landmark hotel in Chicago's Loop district, currently occupying its third structure since the initial establishment in 1870. The existing edifice was completed in 1925. In the late 1800s, it was pioneering in the city for offering elevators, electric lighting, and telephones within guest accommodations. Despite a temporary closure during 2020-2021 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it remains recognized as one of the longest-operating hotels continuously functioning in North America. It is also a member of the Historic Hotels of America program administered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Original hotel
Entrepreneur Potter Palmer constructed the first Palmer House as a nuptial present for his wife, Bertha Honoré Palmer. Located at the intersection of State and Quincy streets, it commenced operations on September 26, 1870. The hotel was lost to the Great Chicago Fire on October 9, 1871. However, Palmer had already initiated building a replacement at State and Monroe prior to the fire’s outbreak.
Second hotel
Designed by architect John M. Van Osdel, the second iteration of the Palmer House Hotel was a seven-story structure containing 225 rooms. It was distinguished by its spacious chambers, opulent interiors, and elaborate dining experiences. A unique feature included a barber shop floor embellished with silver dollars arranged in a diamond motif.
Construction started on September 26, 1871, just days before the Great Chicago Fire struck. Finished in 1875, it was marketed as "The World's Only Fire Proof Hotel." The hotel hosted numerous prominent figures such as presidential candidates James Garfield, Grover Cleveland, Ulysses S. Grant, William Jennings Bryan, and William McKinley; authors including Mark Twain, L. Frank Baum, and Oscar Wilde; celebrated actresses Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse; as well as French cabaret performer Yvette Guilbert. A significant 1895 gathering at this location resulted in the creation of the Big Ten Conference.
Current hotel
Responding to Chicago’s expanding commercial hub in the early 1920s, the Palmer Estate commissioned Holabird & Roche to design a larger 25-story hotel featuring over 1,000 rooms. Construction spanned from 1923 to 1925.
In December 1945, Conrad Hilton purchased the property for $20 million (equivalent to $), renaming it The Palmer House Hilton. Although Hilton sold it to Thor Equities in 2005, management remained under the Hilton brand.
A major renovation project valued at $170 million (equivalent to $) was undertaken between 2007 and 2009 by architectural firms Loebl Schlossman & Hackl alongside David Fleener Architects. The hotel now accommodates 1,639 rooms, making it second only to the Hyatt Regency Chicago in size within the city. Its official name was updated to Palmer House - A Hilton Hotel.
The Empire Room at Palmer House has been a venue for legendary performers such as Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Liberace, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Sammy Davis Jr., and Tony Bennett, among others.
Operations were paused in March 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Subsequently, in August 2020, Wells Fargo initiated legal action against Thor Equities over default on a $333 million commercial loan (equivalent to $). Following interior enhancements including refurbishment of its indoor swimming pool, the Palmer House resumed service on June 17, 2021.
See also
- Chocolate brownie – originated at the hotel for the World's Columbian Exposition held in 1893
Further reading
- Robert V. Allegrini, Chicago's Grand Hotels: The Palmer House Hilton, The Drake, and The Hilton Chicago, Arcadia Publishing, 2005, ISBN 978-1-4396-1659-8
- Conor McHale, America's Greatest Hotel Lobbies -- Palmer House Hilton
External links
- Palmer House – official website
- Palmer House - A Hilton Hotel – Hilton's official page
- Palmer House Chicagology – historical overview of the hotel
- Chicago Historical Society – 1873 account by Rudyard Kipling following the Great Chicago Fire
- Fred A. Bernstein, ["A Hotel Looks Back to Its 1920s Glamour"](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/realestate/commercial/26sqft.html), The New York Times, October 25, 2008
- Palmer House Hilton Reviews – customer feedback