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The Palmer House, the 1925 Holabird & Roche hotel in the Loop, with its frescoed lobby

Palmer House

North America's longest continuously operating hotel — a Gilded Age lobby of
hand-painted ceiling frescoes that has hosted every president since Grant.

Palmer House Hilton1925Holabird & Roche 17 E. Monroe Street, in the Loop

Palmer House a Hilton Hotel. 1925, Holabird & Roche, 17 E. Monroe Street. Photo courtesy of Palmer House a Hilton Hotel.

The frescoed lobby ceiling of the Palmer House
The hand-painted frescoed lobby ceiling of the Palmer House. Photo courtesy of Palmer House a Hilton Hotel.
A guest room at the Palmer House
A guest room at the Palmer House. Photo courtesy of Palmer House a Hilton Hotel.
A grand ballroom at the Palmer House
One of the Palmer House's grand event ballrooms. Photo courtesy of Palmer House a Hilton Hotel.
The Palmer House exterior in the Loop
The Palmer House facade in the heart of the Loop. Photo courtesy of Palmer House a Hilton Hotel.
Fine dining at the Palmer House
Fine dining beneath the chandeliers at the Palmer House. Photo courtesy of Palmer House a Hilton Hotel.

Why this building matters

The Palmer House’s story is the city’s story. The first opened in 1871 and burned in the Great Chicago Fire just thirteen days later; Potter Palmer rebuilt at once, and the lavish current building — designed by Holabird & Roche and completed in 1925 — followed. Its grand lobby is crowned by ceiling frescoes by the French painter Louis Pierre Rigal. The hotel is also the birthplace of the brownie, created in its kitchens for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition at the request of Bertha Palmer.

Read more on the Palmer House's own history page → (booking directly with the hotel doesn't generate a referral fee that supports our preservation work — the button at right does)

What guests are saying

What guests love

  • The jaw-dropping frescoed lobby — one of the most photographed interiors in Chicago.
  • A central Loop location two blocks from Millennium Park, the Art Institute, and State Street shopping.
  • Genuine layered history, from the Empire Room nightclub to the original brownie.

What to keep in mind

  • A vast historic hotel — rooms vary widely in size and updating
  • A busy Loop location; a grande dame, not a boutique

Best for Travelers who want to stay inside a piece of living Chicago history in the heart of the Loop.

Summary of guest reviews. Sources: Palmer House, Commission on Chicago Landmarks, Preservation Chicago. Photography courtesy of Palmer House a Hilton Hotel, used with permission. Details may change over time.