There are hotels, and then there are institutions—places that have woven themselves into the fabric of a city’s history, where the past is packed into every ornate detail, nook and cranny.
Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel in Chicago is one such place. A transportive capsule of elegance since the 19th century, this landmark property is more than just a place to stay; it’s a strategic way to wrap oneself in Chicago’s dynamic story. Its success relies on how well it can channel the building’s history through multiple elements like design, amenities and F&B.
Staying in historic hotels has become the anchor for my love of travel. I’m most interested in how we package short holidays or work trips and pocket them so that we can bring them home with us. With more robust memories, a better understanding of the destinations we love, and a sharper scope of the wonderfully diverse world of hospitality. There are plenty of ways to do this, as I put to the theoretical test on a testy three-month trip across the USA last year.
Choosing a historic hotel over a flashy new-build is one of them. It’s a strategic way to bridge one’s perspective and a city. As such, Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel is a great way to dig deeper into Chicago. Its history stretches back to the Great Chicago Fire and a place on the National Register of Historic Hotels, so the value of staying here shouldn’t be understated.
And yet it has its faults, as almost all heritage hotels do. I’ll list the good and the could-be-better in the following Palmer House Chicago review.
Location
Few properties in Chicago claim an address as storied. Located in the heart of the Loop, the style icon stands just steps from Millennium Park, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Theater District. This makes it an ideal home base for both business and leisure travel, with the famed Chicago River Walk just a short walk up the road.
That’s important. While Hilton has always been a greatly admired hotel company, its Hilton proper brand is mostly business first, personality second. That’s when the “collection” hotels should step into focus. They still have the prime location, Hilton, with its first-movers advantage, is known for, while also bringing charisma to a trip.
Beyond its proximity to major attractions, the hotel places guests at the crossroads of Chicago’s past and present, where Beaux-Arts grandeur meets the city’s ever-evolving skyline. I’m not surprised that Hilton chose to position this as more of a “collection” hotel rather than just dress it up as “Hilton Chicago”. The Palmer House has been the most recognisable symbol of high society in Chicago’s history, so keeping its legacy intact is important.
Design
Walking into the Palmer House is like stepping back into the opulence of the Gilded Age. The lobby is a masterclass in grandeur, with its impressive painted ceiling, Tiffany-style chandeliers, and a blockbuster fresco by French muralist Louis Pierre Rigal. It’s the literal and figurative heart of the hotel, which the reception to one side, a bar and restaurant to another, and many different kinds of seating with a pianist in the centre.
Originally built in 1871 as a wedding gift from Potter Palmer to his wife Bertha, the hotel was tragically lost in the Great Chicago Fire just days after its grand opening. Palmer rebuilt it even grander, ensuring it would stand as a testament to resilience and elegance unstuck from the passage of time. Today, as part of the National Register of Historic Hotels, it remains one of the city’s most visually arresting interiors—a living museum of Chicago’s rise to architectural greatness and its unfairly large collection of visual blockbusters.
There are plenty of features around the Palmer House that express its legacy. A cabinet showcases what is ostensibly the greatest banquet in American history, featuring memorabilia, photos and cutlery from the hotel’s famed 1893 soiree, attended by the likes of Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant, and the Palmers.
Bertha Palmer’s highly prized, beautifully preserved china takes up much of the shelf space.
Then there’s the mesmerising Peacock Door at the main entrance. It’s no longer a functioning door, but this one-of-three masterpiece is one of the most historically significant doors in America. Louis Comfort Tiffany built the solid-gold door as a homage to Chicago’s first incorporated business, the House of Peacock – an emporium of fine jewellery and fine china.
Rooms
The lower-tiered rooms at Palmer House are bare. There’s a lot of space. These are some of the largest rooms I’ve seen in any Chicago hotel. However, there’s hardly any design prowess whatsoever, with a lot of negative space. The common areas may glow with character and intricate details, but the guest rooms tell a much different, more muted story.
Is it a bad thing, though?
Perhaps not. In those days, size was the ultimate luxury. This is lifted by a stately aesthetic, built from mahogany furnishings, natural tones and marble bathrooms. It’s that old-world charm, but Hilton has also had the good sense to modernise it with all the necessary comforts like plugs close to the bed, a packed mini bar (Chicago’s local snacks are vastly underrated), and smart lighting. The Wi-Fi is blazingly fast too.
Food & Drink
Hilton’s DoubleTree brand is most famous for its signature warm chocolate cookie, offered to guests on arrival and available for free throughout the stay. The perfectly textured, melt-in-your-mouth treat has served as a symbol of hospitality for years now.
Palmer House is not a DoubleTree hotel, yet it has its own symbolic treat. The Palmer House Brownie is famous throughout Chicago, having been created at the hotel in 1983 for the World’s Columbian Exposition. Track it down upon arrival; I tried it twice during my stay – consistent, rich and wonderfully soft. The centuries-old recipe gives Palmer House another mode of storytelling, so you can taste the Gilded Age as well. Furthermore, the humble brownie was created in Chicago. So trying it here is as essential as having a Bananas Foster at New Orleans icon Brennan’s.
The Lockwood Bar & Restaurant is the hotel’s signature grill while there’s also a casual burger bar, both touched by the thematic charm of the Prohibition Era. Nostalgia aside, both are highly rated for their food. This is Chicago after all, and the city’s super-high standards still mean something. That said, I was in Chicago for work and didn’t find the time to fine at either so can’t comment on the food beyond that.
There’s also a Starbucks. Just a plain, garden-variety but lovingly convenient Starbucks.
Service
Service is characterised by a sense of tradition. Guests can expect a warm welcome from doormen in crisp uniforms, and the concierge team is adept at securing theatre tickets or recommending off-the-beaten-path experiences. The staff mixes classic hospitality with modern efficiency, and the balance is notable.
That said, reception staff are notably slow and overworked. Given the size, service can feel impersonal and I certainly felt more like a number than a guest. That’s no complaint, however. Given the context and scale of this operation, by-the-numbers service is expected.
Amenities
For a hotel of its vintage, Palmer House boasts an impressive array of amenities. The fitness centre is well-equipped, catering to both casual exercisers and serious athletes. The on-site spa, Spa at Palmer House, offers a range of treatments in a serene setting—a welcome respite from the city. The hotel’s event spaces, including the impressive Empire Room, have hosted countless glamorous affairs, from galas to grand weddings.
I’m especially fond of the pool. Chicago’s historic hotels seem to always have these big, generous indoor pools that haven’t been changed since the 1800s. The atmosphere is a big part of it here, with an old-school athlete’s centre feel not unlike the pools at InterContinental Magnificent Mile and the iconic Chicago Athletic Association.
Value
While Palmer House isn’t the cheapest stay in Chicago, its rates are surprisingly competitive for a hotel with so much historic significance. Rates differ wildly in the US, but I’d say you can expect to pay around $300-$400 AUD per night (less in low season). For the States, right now, that’s very reasonable.
Plus, Palmer House provides a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the city’s past without sacrificing contemporary comforts. And the location: perfect. I’d be lying if I didn’t mention safety concerns in Chicago. Palmer House’s location is ideal because this side of town is well-lit at all times, which should help guests both feel safe, and be safe.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Address: 17 E Monroe St, Chicago, IL 60603
Contact: +1 312-726-7500
The author stayed as a guest of Hilton and explored the city with the help of Choose Chicago.
