We recently got to stay at the Palmer House for three nights. The hotel itself is beautiful, however they were undergoing a renovation so much of the ground floor was blocked off for construction, and much of the exterior was also boarded off. They did a good job, however, of keeping the construction from getting in your way. The lobby was beautifully decorated with painted ceilings and large mirrors on the balconies overlooking it to give the illusion of a much larger space. The check-in process was smooth and the staff was very friendly. We got to the room with a quick ride up to the 11th floor(The elevator had a trivia Q and A thing which made the rides fun) and down a few hallways lined with pictures of people performing in the Empire Room and we came to our room. The furnishing was beautiful and the art was a wonderful touch, the bathrooms looked very nice as well but they were small. The only bad part of the room was that looking out the window gave you a great view of a concrete wall and the in-aesthetic roof of a building. We had to look at a considerable angle to even see if it was sunny or cloudy out. Also, a minor thing, but the ice/vending machine room looked like it came straight out of a two-star motel. It was a stark contrast to walk from a finely decorated hallway into a white room with pipes coming out of the wall and a crummy vending machine. Other than those two things, the hotel was a joy to stay at. The other amazing part was the area of the hotel. Right in the loop, it was on the same block as two El stations which can get you within walking distance of almost anywhere in the city, two blocks from the blue line which goes to the airport, and within walking distance of a LOT of shopping, parks, and other attractions. This made the trip so easy, daily you could step out of the hotel, pick a street and just walk north or south and find interesting things to do. I'd come back for the location alone, but the rooms were great too!
Pros: Decoration, LOCATION
Cons: View, construction, ice room
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