The Palmer House Hilton - Chicago, IL Review

Bottom-Line: The Palmer House Hilton Chicago is more suited to the business executive or well to do personage who demands luxury accommodations and don't mind paying dearly for each and every one of them.

My Anniversary; it falls of January 1 of every year, and every year my wife and I go somewhere other than our house to celebrate.  Last year we decided to visit downtown Chicago in order to avail ourselves of cultural attractions and fireworks; that was a bust as far as the fireworks were concerned.  So this year we decided to go back to Chicago, but get out on Lake Michigan to see the fireworks, so the hotel room view would be far less important. 

We also wanted so go see the Broadway play Wicked that is currently playing at the Oriental Theater in the heart of Chicago's loop, so a hotel nearby was in order in case we wanted to walk to the theater.  We choose the famed and historic Palmer House Hilton; cost: $157.21 a night.       

Our Room

I booked a King-sized non-smoking room, double occupancy for the Internet only, non-refundable rate of $157.21 a night, plus tax; the refundable rate was $190.00.  The room was relatively small, but it had a nice sized desk with a RJ-45 network cable, house phone (didn't work), and desk lamp with fluorescent bulbs; in fact all of the lamps in the room had fluorescent bulbs.  The room also contained one large window, but had no love seat, arm chairs, or occasional table, although the desk did have a rather comfortable chair. 

The bathroom was extremely small, so small in fact that you would be hard pressed to fit two people in it at once.  There was of course a shower/tub combination.  It-the tub-was rather large and the shower head water pressure was quite high and the water heated quickly.  The towels were standard issue white, and surprisingly just as hard as other hotel chains I stayed at; why can't they use fabric softener?    

The television got excellent reception though choices were limited to a few cable and local channels and HBO Signature; movies were of course extra, along with games.  The bed was very comfortable, and so too were the pillows; they were not too soft and not too hard.  The room was also equipped with hairdryer, coffee-maker (no pot) and iron, as well as two hideously white unstylish speakerphones: one on the desk that as I mentioned above did not work, and the other one was placed on the night-stand next to the bed.   

High Speed Internet access was available in the room via an RJ-45 cable, but it was not free (wireless high-speed Internet access was not available).  For that privilege I would have to fork over another $200.00 per night for a larger room.  My cost for Internet access was $12.95 per 24-hour period.  Wireless Internet access was available in the lobby of the hotel, but it cost $12.95 as well.    

Other Costs

Be prepared, in addition to making one pay for Internet access like most large city hotels the Palmer House Hilton never saw a dollar in your wallet it didn't want to pocket; in other words, there are no freebies, except for the morning paper.  One of the first things I noticed upon entering the room was two 1 Liter bottles of water, price: $3.95. 

The good news is that is a Corner Bakery right next door to the hotel that offers breakfast and lunch at a fairly reasonable rate.  There is also a CVS Drug Store, a McDonald's and several restaurants within walking distance of the hotel including the Walnut Room at Marshall Field's (I refuse to call the venerable department store Macy's). 

Restaurants & Accommodations

There is one restaurant inside the hotel called the Lockwood Restaurant and Bar, a casual attire eatery that offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  We didn't go into the restaurant, nor see a menu, so I cannot speak to the menu choices or prices.      

The Concierge Desk is fully staffed and responsive in person; trying to reach someone on the phone was a non-starter if you want an answer in short order.    

Valet parking is available for $38.00 a day and that does not include tip.  Self-parking is available as well for $30.00 a night.

My Viewpoint       

All and all, I would rate my stay at the Palmer House Hilton as marginal.  The room rate was expensive and the views less than spectacular, there were no free amenities and the bathroom was way too small.  The bed was comfortable and the hotel staff was accommodating and courteous, but all of this came with a steep asking price; frankly I am still wondering what I got that was worth paying $157.21 a night for other than a pedigree and name dropping privileges.  I would not recommend the Palmer House Hilton to the casual visitor to the city of Chicago if a name is not important to you stay elsewhere, or at least bring your own snack food and drink.

The Palmer House Hilton is more suited to the business executive or well to do personage who demands luxury accommodations and don't mind paying dearly for them.  As for us, if we come back down town next year we will seek a hotel with more reasonable prices. 

Hotel Contact Information:

The Palmer House Hilton

17 East Monroe Street, 

Chicago, Illinois, 60603
Tel: 1-312-726-7500

Fax: 1-312-917-1707