History & Tour of Recently Renovated Palmer House
By Pam Flores

The CREW members that attended the August 12, 2009 History & Tour of The Palmer House were delighted by the stories offered by our host, Ken Price, Director of Public Relations.   Ken knew his audience well, as he not only told us the history of this famous hotel, but also enthusiastically shared with us the story of the “woman behind the man,” including Bertha Palmer’s astute and lucrative real estate play later in life.

The History of this Famous Hotel
As Ken explained, The Palmer House was the work of Potter Palmer, a well-known businessman who was responsible for much of the development of State Street.  Upon his arrival in Chicago in the late 1800s, Potter was a dry goods merchant.  He later sold his dry goods store to an upstart merchant named Marshall Field.

The Palmer House first opened in 1871 and was built by Palmer as a wedding present to his bride, Bertha Honoré.  Unfortunately, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed the hotel just 13 days after it opened, but Palmer immediately secured the financing he needed (at that point in time, the largest loan ever given to a private citizen) and re-built the property.  The hotel was one of the fanciest in post-fire Chicago, and being constructed mostly of iron and brick, it was advertised as the “The World’s Only Fire Proof Hotel.”  The current Palmer House is actually the third structure to house the hotel.  It is also considered the “longest continuous operating hotel in the U.S.,” as the hotel remained in operation while the current facility was under construction. 

The Palmer House attracted many famous visitors over the years, including presidents, authors and actors, both as guests and performers.  In fact, it still does.  Bulls star and local hero Michael Jordan occupied the penthouse the evening before our tour.

Love and the Lady
Ken then turned the conversation to the woman behind the man, Bertha Honoré.  It was very interesting to learn that Potter first met his future bride when she was shopping with her mother at his dry goods store – at the tender age of 12.  He waited patiently for her to come of age and they were engaged when she was 21 and he 44.  What was even more interesting was learning about who she became as Mrs. Palmer and the influence she had on the city.  She entertained frequently and for some time the social center in Chicago revolved around Bertha.  She was an avid art collector, purchasing the work of many French impressionists and other French artists.  Much of her collection is displayed today at the Art Institute, and there are still some paintings hanging at The Palmer House.

But there was so much more to Bertha.  She was feminist and an activist that lobbied heavily for women’s rights.  She was a member of the Chicago Women’s Club, a group that lobbied for fair treatment of women and children in hospitals, prisons and poorhouses.  She organized the first women’s garment workers organization and led them to coordinate a strike.  She was also named chairwoman of the Columbian Exposition’s Board of Lady Managers, and served as the hostess for visiting dignitaries to the city of Chicago during the World’s Columbian Exposition.  Bertha took over running The Palmer House upon Potter's death in 1902, and was also well known for her philanthropy.

She had a head for real estate!  Bertha became interested in Sarasota, Florida through an ad she saw in the Chicago Tribune and eventually came to own about one-third of Sarasota and the surrounding County.  Her love of Sarasota helped the region become the popular winter resort that it is today and her estate in the area still exists.

The Renovation and Our Tour
Ken noted that the Palmer house is about “personality” and not just brick and mortar.  He explained to the group that the recent renovation of The Palmer House was undertaken in line with Bertha’s spirit and sensibility.  The hotel was bought in 2004 by Thor Equities who undertook the recent $170 million renovation.  As part of our evening, Ken treated us to an exclusive peek at the penthouse, which you can stay in for a mere $4,000 per night!  It was beautifully designed and decorated – we were all ready to move in. 

Ken then delivered us to Rachel Tandy, the manager of Spa Chakra.  We were treated to a tour of the spa and gift bags featuring a sampling of Guerlain products.  Jane Blomquist was the lucky winner of a spa treatment.

A wonderful and insightful evening all around!