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Palmer House, A Hilton Hotel
Chicago, Illinois, United States · Hilton Hotels & Resorts · Near Luxury
Potter Palmer built the first Palmer House as a wedding gift for Bertha Honoré; it opened on 26 September 1870 and burned thirteen days later in the Great Chicago Fire. A second fireproof hotel followed, and the chocolate brownie was invented in its kitchens for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Holabird & Roche's present 25-story Beaux-Arts tower opened in 1925 as the third Palmer House on the Loop site. Conrad Hilton bought it in 1945 for $20 million; with more than 1,600 rooms it remains among Chicago's largest hotels and a Historic Hotels of America member.
- 1,641 rooms
- Opened 1871
- Neighborhood: The Loop
- Architect: Holabird & Roche; Holabird & Root
About Palmer House, A Hilton Hotel
- The Empire Room booked Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, and The Supremes.
- A meeting here in 1895 helped establish the athletic conference that became the Big Ten.
History
Founded in 1871 by Potter Palmer, the original hotel was famously destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire just thirteen days after opening. It was immediately rebuilt, and the current 25-story Beaux-Arts masterpiece, designed by Holabird & Roche, opened in 1925 as the third building to occupy the site.
The setting
On State Street in the Loop. Millennium Park and the Art Institute are a few minutes.
Amenities
- 130,000 sq. ft. of historic meeting and event space including seven ballrooms
- 10,000 sq. ft. Balance Health Club with an indoor pool and sauna
- The Spa at Palmer House offering full-service body treatments and a salon
- On-site dining at Lockwood Restaurant & Bar and the legendary Potter’s Bar
- Executive Level accommodations with private lounge access and complimentary breakfast
- Pet-friendly guest rooms and suites in the heart of the Chicago Loop
Awards
- AAA Four Diamond (2026)
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