I just returned from a stay at the Palmer House Hilton this past weekend... the night of 4/4/08. Most of the posts in this thread hold a lot of merit. I might repeat some of it, but here goes: The location is fantastic. We were only about a block and a half from Millenium Park and the Art Institute. There is plenty of food and shopping near by also. The staff seemed pleasant enough. We requested a 2 double bed room at check-in, and my request was granted without so much as a word. When the other half of our room (2 friends from out of town) showed up, they had to have security call our room to verify that we approved sending the guests up. It was nice to know that there was some security involved, although a little annoying to our friends. The historic public areas are gorgeous. Unlike the TripAdvisor reviews, I didn't find the hallways, carpeting, or walls to be faded, worn out, torn, dirty, or anything like that. The room, which I mentioned was a 2 double bed room, was VERY small. I don't demand 2000 sq. ft. in a hotel room, but it was incredibly small for the amount they generally charge for the room. The room is also fairly no-frills. There weren't many special touches. The decor is either historic-feeling or outdated... it depends on how you look at it. I thought it was appropriate. There was a coffee maker and a hair dryer... that was about it. They had 2 bottles of Fiji water available at $6.50 each, which we didn't take. There was a soda machine up the hall though (with a card reader for those who don't carry cash), and soda or water could be purchased for $2.50 for a 20 oz bottle. My friend didn't want to go to the lobby, so he ordered 4 MGD's up to the room. It took about an hour and cost $40, but I wasn't the one paying for it. The beds are decent, but not great... no complaints, no raving. Parking was $35 for self-park if the hotel validates it for you, and you get in-and-out service until 5pm the day you check-out. Since we were only there for a night and not taking the car in and out, it turned out cheaper for our friends who didn't validate... $29, rather than $35. Basically, we paid $90/night, and I wouldn't have wanted to pay much more than that for it. If you can get it fairly cheap, it's totally worth it for location alone. However, I would have been angry if I'd paid several hundred for the night. I'd call it a solid 3-star hotel, but not a 4-star. I stayed at the Marriott on Magnificent Mile that Priceline calls a 3-star, and it was a LOT nicer. Hope this helps someone. ~Megan
