Palmer House a Hilton Hotel

Reviews

• LY

  Luther Young

  3 days ago
  1.0
  TL/DR: TERRIBLE. The hotel lost our luggage for hours with no explanation. . . . I travel quite a bit, so I've had my share of hotel experiences. My stay at this hotel was arguably one of the worst. We stayed here because we attended the New Year's Eve party and wanted to avoid the hassle of trying to get home at 2 a.m. We arrived at the hotel that evening and waited for a spot in the valet lane to open up. A bellhop finally came to our car to let us know the valet was full and that we could self-park in the garage across the street. They then offered to take our luggage into the hotel while we parked and checked in, saying that they would bring our luggage up to our room once we were all set. We parked. We checked in. We gave the front desk person our claim ticket, and they said they would have our bags up in about 20 minutes, given the high volume of folks checking in. This was at 5:30. We had dinner reservations at 6. They offer customer service via text message, so I responded to their customer service chat to let them know that we had not received our luggage, that we had to go to dinner, and asked if they could just leave the bags in our room. After chatting with 3 different people, they said to dial "22" from our room when we returned. They didn't answer my question, nor did they offer an explanation for why they didn't arrive in the 20-30 minutes prior. We get back from dinner around 7:20 or so, still with no luggage. We called the bellhop desk ("22"), and they said they would be up in about 10-15 minutes with our bags. The New Year's Eve party started at 8. 8:00 rolls around—still no luggage. We call again, and they say it'll be about 20 minutes, as if we hadn't called 30 minutes earlier. I called the front desk and spoke to the operator, and requested a manager. Both the operator and the manager said they would call the bellhop desk and figure out what was happening. 8:20 rolls around, no callback, no bags. I called the front desk again and, again, asked for a manager. The operator was shocked that we still had not received our bags and offered to call the bellhop back. The operator called back to say they would be up in 10 minutes. At this point, I went down to the front desk to ask for a manager. The front desk manager said they would walk over to the bellhop desk to find our luggage. They also offered a $70 meal and beverage credit for our trouble. I'm pretty sure I rolled my eyes, then they offered $75. I went back up to my room around 8:45, and the bellhop called to ask what our bags looked like. "Oh, we found them. We'll be right up." At 9:00, we finally got our luggage, which meant that we didn't get to the party until close to 10, losing 2 hours of time we paid for. The next morning, we had lunch on our way out to use up the ridiculously modest meal credit they offered. Fast forward to a day later: I review the folio from checkout and see that they had not applied the meal and beverage credit to our bill. Of course, I was livid. I called and, again, asked to speak to a manager. The communications manager reviewed the notes and saw that there was supposed to be a credit applied, and for some reason, it was not. This person applied the credit and sent a receipt. Not only will I NEVER stay at this hotel again, but I am also wary of staying at any Hilton brand hotel (I prefer Marriott anyway) if this is the level of service one is to expect.
• SL

  Sarah Little

  Jan 2, 2026
  2.0
  I’ve stayed at the Palmer House several times over the years and have always loved it. Last February, my sister and I had a lovely time and greatly enjoyed our stay! The rooms can be fairly outdated and a bit shabby, but if you go into it with the idea that it’s part of the charm, it’s not an issue. The architecture of the public spaces is awe-inspiring! For the most part, the staff was very helpful and pleasant to interact with. However, this last trip, I took extreme issue with an experience I had with one of the employees. One staff member who helped us during check-out, Eli, seemed to be extremely friendly and easy to talk to. He even sold us an offer on a discounted stay we could use at any point within the next year. Come to find out it was a timeshare scam, which he completely neglected to mention despite our myriad follow-up questions to clarify that there weren’t any gimmicks or hidden fees.. after speaking with Hilton and attempting to cancel the charge, apparently he lied to us about several requirements of the stay, and there would be additional charges to incur should we attempt to use it at any of the destinations listed (which was not mentioned). For reference, we’d intended to use it at the Palmer House for another sister visit, as we don’t live in the same city. Having been completely duped despite being cautious and asking plenty of clarifying questions, I’m extremely reluctant to go back to the Palmer House after this experience. This staff member’s lack of transparency (read: lies) have made me question the establishment if this person, as an employee, is able to sell gimmicks while checking people out (while under the guise of “helping out the guests”). Genuinely may not be back after that, as it’s left an extremely negative impression for me regarding the Palmer House and their integrity.
• JG

  Jaded Old Guy

  Jan 2, 2026
  2.0
  First - we came here only to sample their allegedly "legendary" brownies, so I cannot comment on this establishment as a hotelier. It certainly is a beautiful property inside (at least the lobby, restaurant, and bar area), and it is in a great location. Two stars solely for that. But as for the brownies? "Hard pass" as you wacky kids say these days. Covered in nuts. Cold. More fudge like than a brownie. And if you happen to wander to the "take away" area near the back, you will be accosted by Hilton sales reps peddling what amounts to time shares and "special, today only" discounts on future stays at any Hilton property, while promising you extra points if you are a Hilton member. So, yeah, you will want to avoid that unless hangjng with time share salespeople are your favorite pastime. For the brownies, skip them. If nothing else, just pop in to enjoy the beautiful decor and perhaps have a beverage of some kind.
• CB

  Cora Borowy

  Dec 22, 2025
  2.0
  My fiancé and I stayed two nights at The Palmer House in Chicago to catch a Broadway show. The hotel is beautiful, rich in history and exudes expensive, lush taste. I was so excited to be staying there, even though it was very expensive. Unfortunately, the many issues I have with them now will keep me from ever doing more than a tour there again. There is literally nothing included in your stay at this "luxury hotel." And I do mean nothing. The snacks in the suite we had were ridiculously expensive, water being 7 dollars a bottle and don't forget the additional 22% tax they throw on top of that. No microwave, either so don't plan on saving any take out. But that was just the beginning. Their wifi is barely able to run Netflix, again, unless you pay another ridiculous fee for actual internet speeds that work. There's no coffee in the rooms offered, no breakfast included, even for Hilton Honors Members. Our breakfast from their restaurant downstairs was two coffees and two breakfast sandwiches and was over $40. When we first checked in, we had already paid for our rooms, and assumed we'd be checked in with no additional fees. After all, they had my credit card on file. Nope. They held an additional $200 charge for "possible incidentals." We then paid $57 a day for self parking. Also a random $29 a day for who knows what. My account shows they charged us separately for the parking upon check in, and then the additional $200. Ok. They told me it would be refunded once the room was checked. We checked out on time, early even, and drove the 5 hours back home. It's been two days now, and they only refunded me $12. When we inquired with them, they stated we are being charged for parking, they're taking it out of the incidentals... we told them we already paid for our parking on check in. Now they want proof. As if they didn't run my card and essentially steal my money. This place is absurdly overpriced for what's offered and they constantly try tacking on more fees. Trust me, other than the ghosts and historic ambiance, you're better off paying 100 bucks a night at a "low end" hotel.
• AL

  Alexandra L

  Dec 21, 2025
  5.0
  I have always wanted to stay at this iconic hotel for as long as I could remember. We visited Chicago to attend the CSO concert with pianist Yunchan Lim and conductor Klaus Mäkelä (which was, of course, a dream). The Palmer House was ideal for us in this case, as the CSO is diagonally across. The lobby is stunning, and the Christmas decorations make it look magical. The highlights include the Peacock Door and the Romeo and Juliet statue. We opted for valet parking, which was worth the extra charge for me. Stephen greeted us cordially at the door and helped us with the luggage. The driver then parked our car, which is so much easier, as self-park is at the next block, and I am a nervous wreck with parking. Our room is spacious, and the beds are cozy but on the small side. There is a minibar (extra charge per item consumed) but no coffee maker in the room. I appreciated the Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries, but there is little space to arrange your toiletries. The towel hooks on the bathroom door are high. The reason for four stars for service was one of the housekeepers was rude when I requested Kleenex. She didn’t understand, so I said tissues. She grudgingly handed me a box of tissues. The main gym is spacious and features a selection of cardio and weight machines. There is also a smaller fitness room with a yoga mat and another room with an exercise bike. There was one other person in the main gym on a Sunday morning at 7am, and shortly after, several more people entered the gym. The bar area and restaurant are lovely, but I didn’t eat in either. There is the Lockwood Express, which is a mini market selling coffee, grab-and-go food, souvenirs, and the signature must-try Brownie. Although the holiday season at the Palmer House was lively, the weekend-before-Christmas crowd was evident with constantly full tables in the bar, long lines in the lobby all day and Lockwood Express (especially during breakfast), and people rushing in and out of the elevators. We would definitely stay at the Palmer House again but not the weekend before Christmas.

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