The Palmer House Hilton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Palmer House - A Hilton Hotel |
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The Palmer House Hotel
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| Location | 17 East Monroe Street Chicago, Illinois |
| Built | 1871 |
| Rebuilt | 1923-1925 |
| Architect | John M. Van Osdel (2nd) Holabird & Roche (current) |
| Designated | December 13, 2006 |
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The Palmer House - A Hilton Hotel is a historic hotel in Chicago's Loop area. It is a member of the Historic Hotels of America program. This program is part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Palmer House was special because it was Chicago's first hotel with elevators. It was also the first to have electric light bulbs and telephones in its guest rooms. For a long time, it was called the longest continuously operating hotel in North America. However, it has been closed since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no set date for it to reopen yet.
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Hotel History in Chicago
Three different Palmer House hotels have stood at the corner of State and Monroe streets in Chicago. Each one has its own interesting story.
The First Palmer House Hotel
The very first Palmer House, also known as "The Palmer," was built as a special wedding gift. It was given by Potter Palmer to his bride, Bertha Honoré. The hotel opened its doors on September 26, 1871. But just 13 days later, on October 9, 1871, it burned down. This happened during the terrible Great Chicago Fire.
Potter Palmer quickly decided to rebuild. He got a huge loan of $1.7 million. This was thought to be the largest personal loan ever at that time. With this money, he built one of the most beautiful hotels in the world in Chicago, right after the fire.
The Second Palmer House Hotel
The second Palmer House Hotel was designed by architect John M. Van Osdel. It had seven stories. This hotel offered very large rooms and beautiful decorations. Guests enjoyed amazing meals served in a grand style. The floor of its barber shop was unique. It was tiled, and real silver dollars were placed in a diamond pattern.
The hotel was built mostly from iron and brick. It was advertised as "The World's Only Fire Proof Hotel." Many famous people visited this hotel. These included future presidents like James A. Garfield, Grover Cleveland, Ulysses S. Grant, William Jennings Bryan, and William McKinley. Writers like Mark Twain, L. Frank Baum, and Oscar Wilde also stayed there. Famous actresses Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse were guests. The French singer Yvette Guilbert visited in 1897. This second hotel was finished in 1875.
In 1895, a very important meeting happened at the hotel. Representatives from different Midwestern universities met there. This meeting led to the creation of the Big Ten Conference, a major college sports group.
The Current Palmer House Hotel
By the 1920s, downtown Chicago was growing fast. It could support a much bigger hotel. So, the Palmer Estate decided to build a new, taller hotel. They hired the architects Holabird & Roche to design the building. A young architect named Richard Neutra was also part of their team. Between 1923 and 1925, the hotel was rebuilt on the same spot. This is the building we see today.
In December 1945, Conrad Hilton bought the Palmer House for $20 million. After that, it became known as The Palmer House Hilton. In 2005, Hilton sold the property to Thor Equities. However, it is still part of the Hilton hotel chain.
Between 2007 and 2009, the hotel was fully renovated and restored. This work was done by the architecture firms Loebl Schlossman & Hackl and David Fleener Architects. The renovation cost more than $170 million. The hotel now has 1,639 guest rooms. This makes it the second-largest hotel in Chicago, after the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Its name was recently changed to Palmer House - A Hilton Hotel.
Many famous entertainers have performed in the Palmer House's Empire Room. These include Frank 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, Frankie Laine (1963), Josh White (1966), Tony Bennett (1968), Florence Henderson (1968), Donald O'Connor (1971), Jerry Lewis (1971), Jane Powell (1972), The Supremes (1972), Lorna Luft (1972), Trini Lopez (1973), and The Lettermen (1973).
The hotel has been closed since March 2020. This closure is due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
See also
In Spanish: Palmer House para niños
