Timeless Elegance
Two weeks ago I celebrated my birthday in Chicago and had the great fortune of staying at the Palmer House Hilton for five days. There are many adjectives that I could use to describe the Palmer House but the words elegant and character are at the top of my list. This is an absolutely terrific hotel and if you have never stayed there, at least do yourself the favor of dropping by for a drink or lunch. This hotel has it all and the overall rating of three and a half stars on Yelp is ridiculous. I have travelled the world and if this is not at least a four star hotel then I do not know what is. From time to time unfortunate things happen, but some of the reviewers gave this hotel one star. Really, one star, are you kidding me?
This is what one would consider to be a “grand” hotel. The second floor lobby is exquisite. The furniture is lavish, the ceiling will invite Sistine Chapel comparisons (ok, I am exaggerating), and the famous Empire Room will make you say “Wow” out loud. The hotel is replete with beautiful pictures of the great performers that once performed in the Empire Room. I saw pictures of Jack Benny, Pearl Bailey, and the most beautiful picture of Dorothy Jean Dandridge I have ever seen. Make sure that you take the time to see all of the beautiful black and white pictures. The second floor lobby also has free internet and plenty of tables and chairs if you want to avoid the internet fee, which, by the way, was very reasonable.
My room was beautiful and classy. The bathroom was old-fashioned yet bright and the Peter Thomas Roth toiletries added a nice touch. The color combinations used on the curtains and bed linens made the room look elegant and I immediately felt that I received a bargain. 
The service was amazing. A very classy lady named Tatyana from Bulgaria checked me in. I told her I was excited to be there for my birthday and after a brief chat she upgraded my room. Two days later when I returned for the evening there was a nice bottle of wine with a wonderfully hand-written note thanking me for visiting and wishing me a happy birthday. I thought it was so cool that I saved the cork and the card is part of my screen saver collection.
The hotel is centrally located near the blue and red subway lines obviating the need for you to take a cab from Chicago’s O’Hare airport. You can walk to Millennium Park, the Navy Pier, The Chicago Art Institute and there are good restaurants nearby like “The Gage,” the upscale “Russian Tea Time” or casual Bennigans. For your morning coffee go around the corner and have Dunkin Doughnuts!
This is a fantastic hotel and I look forward to spending my next birthday there!