About this vendor
A hip and historic blend of modern nuances and Chicago cultural significance. Whether you’re holding a wedding in the famed empire room or an intimate gathering in one of our hospitality suites, your event is sure to be a success. Here, you’ll be the host in the Chicago hotel that’s been the venue of choice for celebrities, politicians, and royalty for nearly 150 years.
Details
Settings
- Historic Venue
- Restaurant
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Cakes & Desserts
- Food & Catering
- Service Staff
Reviews
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4.8
out of 5.015 reviews
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We loved working with the Palmer House! Mina, our catering/venue contact was amazing and really went above and beyond for us. We had an incredible wedding day due in large part to all her hard working leading up to and on the actual wedding day. She accommodated our requests and answered all of our questions throughout the planning process. On the day itself, Mina added so many little touches to make us feel extra special. I’m not exaggerating when I say we didn’t notice a single thing go wrong on our wedding day. The Palmer House is beautiful and we had a great experience. We would definitely recommend it as a wedding venue.
My husband and I are so happy we decided to have our wedding at the Palmer House in September 2024. Of all the venues we toured, the Palmer House made us feel uniquely cared for, which was a balm to my anxiety around wedding planning. Mina worked with us to make the most of our budget, and to customize our menu for a brunch wedding. The food was excellent. (If you’re thinking about the prime rib carving station, DO IT.) You won’t regret it. The team brought everything together so beautifully for the wedding of our dreams. There were a few details left to the last minute that I would’ve preferred to have done sooner, but it all came together for the big day. The hospitality we experienced during our wedding weekend was top notch; we felt like VIPs all weekend long.
We were considering Palmer House for a welcome reception for our out-of-town wedding guests to kick off our wedding weekend. We ultimately decided to go with someone else, however we did reserve a room block. The communication with their events department regarding just this was terrible. Our emails asking for basic things like a booking code for our wedding guests to use or a request for how many rooms were booked were ignored.
We ultimately had to show up at the Palmer House in-person and escalate to a manager to receive instructions for how our guests could book the hotel at the block rate. This was incredibly inconvenient as we lived on the other side of the country and had to waste 90 minutes on our only planning trip to Chicago to handle this, and it all should have just been an email! During this time, the person we had been in email contact with was incredibly unhelpful, and a different employee ended up solving our problem with little effort.
One week after our wedding we received an invoice for one of the original hotel rooms on the room block despite having requested that room be removed from the room block 9 months prior (via email, of course), nor receiving any further communication about said room after we had asked it to be removed. Luckily it only took one phone call to Hilton Corporate to get this issue resolved and they confirmed that the invoice was sent in error. Overall, we would not recommend working with Events at Palmer House.
Anyone who has walked into the Palmer House knows how absolutely stunning the hotel is - not to mention the Empire Room. Becky Drda was absolutely wonderful to work with as we planned our wedding. We received so many complaints from our guests on the venue, the food and the cake. I also loved the Christmas decor - really just added to the magic of the evening.
I was married here in August of 2012 and everything was perfect. Jane Himmel, the catering director of the hotel makes sure that everything goes smoothly. The food, the staff, the service...all of our guests were so impressed. It was a perfect night.
Everything was amazing on the wedding day! The guests thought the Palmer House was gorgeous which complimented our wedding day inspiration and feel. We wanted traditional, elegant, grand, regal for our wedding and the Empire Room provided that. The food, staff, and ambiance did not disappoint. I had my own "royal" wedding. Thank you!
I cannot say enough about having my reception at the Palmer House Hilton. Planning was so easy. Our catering manager, Jane Himmel, and her staff were gracious and had the best recommendations. It was stress free and so much fun to plan. When we arrived, we were treated so well, with beautiful suites and accommodations that made the stay comfortable for my entire family. The cocktail hour was held in Potters Lounge, which had an amazing, old Chicago feel and the best appetizers I have ever had. Our reception was held in the Honore Ballroom- which was stunning. The food was fabulous with each course better than the last. Our friends and family are still talking about it. The service was impeccable. We had a wonderful experience and were so lucky to have found such a great venue and catering manager. Highly recommended!
Just got married a few weeks ago and had our cocktail hour in the State Ballroom and our dinner and dancing reception in the Red Lacquer Room. It was amazing! So much more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. We worked with Jane Himmel in our planning who is wonderful. Highly recommended!
Everything about our experience with the Palmer House Hilton for our October wedding was excellent. We chose the State and Grand Ballrooms and they are breathtaking. Jane Himmel, the Senior Catering Director, is a joy to work with and everything from the food to the logistics was excellent. We feel so lucky to have been able to celebrate our wedding at the Palmer House!
Food was absolutely outstanding. The Empire Room was gorgeous - good lighting and acoustics for the band. There were occasional hiccups during the planning process, but the hotel's event team was fantastic at smoothing them out.
If you want a timeless, classic, elegant wedding then you must look at Palmer House hotel downtown Chicago. The hotel has an immense history to it, character like NO other hotel in Chicago, incredible incredible food to choose from, amazing service and fantastic amenities! The bride and both sets of parents get a suite from the hotel for the night of the wedding at the room rate. To call this a suite is an understatement- it is larger than most 4 bedroom condos in Chicago! They are beautifully furnished and you receive a free stay again on your 1 year anniversary. The service is unparalleled. The hotel catering manager showered us with champagne, food, candles, books for our room as a thank you and congratulations for choosing the hotel. They even had our custom menu with our names on it framed and put in our suite. The personal touches make this hotel like no other venue in Chicago!
Beyond all that, the rooms and decor of the hotel is stunning. It is even more gorgeous than the Plaza or Ritz in NYC. If you do not look at this hotel for your wedding, it would be a huge mistake. Worth every penny! Thank you for making our wedding a dream.
We couldn't have asked for more. The venue was beautiful, the food delicious, and the service we received over the year of planning was incredible. Jane Himmel made the day absolutely perfect for us. Her attention to detail and the personal attention she provided us throughout the year was more than we ever expected. It's an incredibly special place, and we are so happy that it will always be a part of our lives.
My wedding in the Honore Ballroom at the Palmer House Hilton was gorgeous!! The classy elegance of the room paved the way for an amazing setting that took my breath away! Our wedding coordinator, was experienced and a completely seasoned pro! It is no wonder she is so sought after in the Chicago wedding circuits!! We worked with the BEST! Experience with this venue was WONDERFUL!! The fact that the Palmer House is a certified historical Chicago landmark, celebrating most recently their 140th anniversary, says everything! Longest running hotel property in North America!!
The Palmer House is a beautiful hotel with a classic elegance. There were so many great photos!;If you have a cocktail reception on the mezzanine level make sure that the staff puts the bars on the sides of the area otherwise it gets too crowded.
The Empire Room, where we had the reception is breathtaking;Wait until the contruction is finished, if you are planning on a wedding at the Palmer House
Contact
17 E Monroe St, Chicago, IL
The Palmer House Hilton's photos