Chicago's Great Hotels

Potter Palmer built the first Palmer Palace as a lavish wedding gift to his wife, Bertha Hilton Honore. The hotel had barely opened in 1871 when the Great Chicago Fire burned down the entire structure. This picture depicts the second Palmer House, which was completed in 1875 and designed by architect John Osdel. This photograph is from 1890.

Potter and Bertha Palmer played important roles during the 1893 Columbian Exhibition, hosting dignataries from around the world who came to Chicago to see the World's Fair. When the Spanish Infanta, Eulalia, stayed at the Palmer House in June 1893, she is reported to have thought very little of Bertha Palmer's non-aristocratic origins, saying, "I can no more stay under the same roof with this innkeeper's wife."

Bertha Palmer wore this evening gown to some of the fair's formal functions. 

Also introduced at the 1893 World's Fair was the Palmer House Brownie. Though unclear who actually created the recipe, it is now a classic dessert to many a visitor today.

With the city rapidly expanding in the early 20th century, a third Palmer House building was constructed on the same street block between 1923-1925. This is the present entrance to the Palmer House on E Monroe St. 

The Lexington Hotel was one of several hotels built in the 1890s to accomodate visitors to the 1893 World's Fair. However, it gained a much different reputation as the headquarters for Al Capone from 1928 until 1931. It later served as a brothel, and the site deteriorated until it was demolished in 1995, despite it being recognized as a Chicago Landmark.

The Edgewater Beach Hotel was a popular vacation spot on the far north side of Chicago, opening in 1916. It prospered until the expansion of Lake Shore Drive, which cut off access to the beach. Although the hotel is now gone, the Edgewater Beach Apartments still occupy near the original hotel site.