Over the recent holiday season, I had the pleasure of staying at The Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago for the first time. I typically prefer staying closer to the shopping on the Magnificent Mile, but my fiancé, the planner of most of our trips, insisted The Palmer House would be worth the distance from our favorite locations. Originally built in 1871, the hotel fell to the Great Chicago Fire but was rebuilt and reopened in 1873. Over the years, The Palmer House hosted everyone from U.S. presidents to Frank Sinatra to Charles Dickens, and it’s very clear why. I was entirely impressed from the moment I set foot in the lobby. Above our heads stretched a gorgeous restored ceiling mural depicting various Grecian gods and goddesses. I was so enamored with the ceiling I almost missed the “Winged Angels” — made of bronze and gold and weighing in at over a ton each — as well as the gold Tiffany chandeliers. Upstairs on the 13th floor, our room was small but very nicely decorated, and I appreciated the little extra decorative touches such as the original doorknobs and locks on both the bathroom and the closet doors. Even though we weren’t that close to the Magnificent Mile, we were just a few steps from Millennium Park, and we spent more than a few hours roaming around its grounds. We were also close to several shops I was unaware were in the area, and so I was able to complete a bit of my shopping without hailing a cab or making a mile-long trek in the frigid, single-digit weather. Overall, I would highly recommend The Palmer House Hilton to anyone looking for a beautiful and historic hotel in the Chicago Loop area. — Holly Godbey, marketing & sales assistant