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The iconic Palmer House, A Hilton Hotel first opened its doors on September 26, 1871, and since then has welcomed millions of guests, hosted legendary entertainers and celebrated countless birthdays, weddings and milestones. As one of the longest operating hotel in America, the Palmer House has an outstanding roster of famous guests including every president since Ulysses S. Grant, numerous world leaders, celebrities and Chicago's movers and shakers. During the World's Fair of 1933, an unknown ballroom team, Veloz and Yolanda won the hearts of the city and performed for more than a year. For fifty years, the hotel was a mecca for Chicago society and visiting luminaries such as Ulysses S. Grant, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Oscar Wilde. After befriending Claude Monet, Bertha began decorating the Palmer House with paintings and other French artwork, eventually accumulating the largest collection of impressionist art outside of France.
Chicago New Year's Eve Countdown 2024 @ The Palmer House Hilton 12/31/2023 - Choose Chicago
Chicago New Year's Eve Countdown 2024 @ The Palmer House Hilton 12/31/2023.
Posted: Sun, 31 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Built on Love
While today a destination for weddings and gala events, the Empire Room has hosted several legendary entertainers. The original Palmer House was destroyed 13 days after its grand opening in the Great Chicago Fire. Potter constructed the world’s first “fireproof hotel” and two years later, the property reopened on November 8, 1873, to become one of the nation’s longest continually operating hotels. Recently, however, I decided to book a three-night stay for my girlfriend and me at one of the most historic properties of them all, The Palmer House Hilton, Chicago's first hotel to offer elevators, electric lightbulbs and phones in each guest room. And historic it is — in fact, in the case of some of the public areas and ballrooms, I doubt much has changed since Hilton took over the property way back in 1945.
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The new Palmer House was once remembered for the fact that 225 silver dollars were imbedded in the checkerboard tile floor of the barber shop. They were put there by William S. Eaton, lessee of the shop, who cashed in on the idea within the next few years. Everyone wanted to see that floor out of sheer curiosity, or to verify that a fool could thus waste his money. As a result, things tended to get lost in the shuffle, from the lounge coffee machine often being empty to staff requests (or even phone calls from the room) going unanswered. Despite receiving confirmation in the app, our "Champagne" and chocolate-covered strawberries weren't in the room as I expected and weren't delivered later in the night.
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The Italian marble staircase that takes you to the Empire Room is one of only two constructed in this particular manner; the other is in London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral. Louis Comfort Tiffany designed the 24-karat gold-dipped chandeliers that grace the ceiling, as well as the majestic Winged Angels, at 1.25 tons they were the largest bronze statues he’d ever produced. Shortly after befriending the famous artist Claude Monet in France, Bertha began decorating the Palmer House with paintings and other pieces inspired by her French heritage. She eventually accumulated over 220 paintings, the largest collection of impressionist art outside of France, and willed them to the Art Institute of Chicago – including numerous Monets and Renoirs.
The Crown Jewel of the Building – the Lobby
The continental buffet included a variety of cold items — deli meats, fruit, pastries and a diverse selection of cereal. Breakfast was included for anyone with access, and included a mix of fresh fruit, orange juice and coffee (that the staff didn't seem in much of a hurry to replace whenever it ran out, which was frequently). Hilton doesn't list the square footage for some room types, since they can vary significantly from one room to the next, given the historic nature of this particular hotel.
The hotel attracted well-to-do permanent residents who enjoyed the spacious quarters, master bedrooms, walk-in closets, multiple bathrooms, housekeeping and porter services. By 1925, Palmer erected a new 25-story hotel which was promoted as the largest hotel in the world. The architects were Holabird & Roche who were well known for their groundbreaking Chicago School of skyscrapers. They also designed the Stevens Hotel, the Cook County Courthouse, the Chicago City Hall and the Muehlebach Hotel in Kansas City. We booked the first two nights of the stay via Hotels.com, so TPG could collect night credits and 10x miles with his Capital One Venture Rewards credit card, at a total cost of $322, including taxes and fees. Since I had a wedding to attend at the hotel over the weekend, I booked a third night directly with Hilton in order to maximize my Diamond benefits — a perk of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card — and earn points within the Hilton Honors program, instead.
Timeline
I've stayed at many "brand-new" hotels over the years — as both a product reviewer and an average Joe, I tend to seek them out. Hotels that bill themselves as historic, meanwhile, remain an occasional curiosity, if for nothing more than a quick look. President Grant was married to Bertha Palmer’s sister Ida, and in 1879, the hotel hosted the “Greatest Banquet in American History” to commemorate the return of the President’s trip from around the world. A gala was hosted for 500 dignitaries and Civil War heroes, including General William Sherman and Phillip Sheridan, with Mark Twain, Potter’s friend, as master of ceremonies.
The two began an incredible courtship and to show his love and admiration for Bertha, he gifted her with one of the most extravagant wedding gifts ever – the Palmer House hotel. If you’ve stepped foot in the hotel, chances are you’ve been enamored by the ornate lobby with its vaulted ceiling frescoes and impressive chandeliers. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear.
To celebrate the sesquicentennial, the property is launching a Bertha Brownie Latte a playful spin on the original fudge brownie, available at Lockwood Express. She commissioned French muralist Louis Pierre Rigal to compose 21 unique frescoes on the lobby’s magnificent domed ceiling. The murals honored Greek mythology, including Aphrodite the goddess of love; Apollo the god of music; and Pluto the god of the underworld. The lobby ceiling has been restored inch by painstaking inch by Lido Lippi, who’d undertaken a similar project for the Sistine Chapel. To restore the ceiling of Palmer House, he worked flat on his back raised on scaffolding throughout the night while listening to Mozart. Potter Palmer, a Chicago businessman who helped develop Chicago’s iconic State Street, was introduced by his former business partner, Marshall Field, to Bertha Honoré Palmer, a young socialite.
My favorite thing about scoring a room on the executive floor was having easy access to the lounge. The failed mobile check-in ended up working out in my favor, though, since I then used the chat tool to request an upgrade, landing myself an executive-level king room, free of charge. The hotel offered an upgrade to a Hip & Historic Suite for $100, and wouldn't budge on the price, despite some Hilton properties offering suites to Diamond members without an upgrade charge. While the hotel was kind enough to add my Honors number to the Hotels.com booking — it never hurts to ask! Receive for Free - Discover & Explore eNewsletter monthly with advance notice of special offers, packages, and insider savings from 10% - 30% off Best Available Rates at selected hotels.
After a couple of follow-ups they finally showed up the next day, but with prosecco, instead of Champagne. While I normally wouldn't complain about not receiving an amenity that isn't guaranteed, I was excited about surprising my girlfriend on Valentine's Day, so I was bummed that the spread hadn't arrived as promised. I decided to upgrade to the full buffet, though, which got me access to hot dishes and made-to-order omelets for an extra $8.
I actually had to walk through the lounge to get to and from the elevators, which was fine most of the time, except when the space was packed for Sunday breakfast (not pictured). The brownie was created in the Palmer House Kitchen, specifically under the direction of Bertha Palmer to be served at the World’s Columbian Exposition, or Chicago World’s Fair, in 1893. Bertha, who was president of the Ladies Board for Managers for Exposition, was creating box lunches for the Women’s Pavilion. She asked her chef to prepare a dessert, something more unique than a piece of pie or cake, and something that would be easy to eat and transport.
The Palmer House was adorned with garnet-draped chandeliers, Louis Comfort Tiffany masterpieces, and a breathtaking ceiling fresco by French painter Louis Pierre Rigal. The fresco was described by columnist George Will as “a wonderful protest of romance against the everydayness of life.” By the 1920s, the decision was made to erect a new 25-story building. Between 1924 and 1927, the Palmer House was rebuilt on the same site but in stages, so not to lose a single day of operations.
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