Grand Pacific Hotel (Chicago)
- For other uses, see Grand Pacific Hotel (disambiguation)
   |
The Grand Pacific Hotel (1873–1895) was one of the first two prominent hotels built in Chicago, Illinois, after the Great Chicago Fire.[1] The hotel, designed by William W. Boyington and managed for more than 20 years by John Drake (1826-1895), was located on the block bounded by Clark Street, LaSalle, Quincy and Jackson.[2]
Drake hosted "Great Game Dinners" featuring exotic cuisines at this hotel.[2] These dinners were a Chicago social institution for more than 50 years.[2] Newspapers devoted 4 inches to its menu and guests.[2]
Along with contemporary Chicago luxury hotels such as the Palmer House, Tremont House, and Sherman House, it was built in the palazzo architectural style of the day.[3] The hotel also accommodated wealthy permanent residents in addition to transient guests who enjoyed the palace hotel.[3]
It was the site where Standard time was adopted on October 11, 1883.[4]
Many notable celebrities stayed here, including Oscar Wilde on his first visit to Chicago as part of his 1882 lecture tour of America.[5]
A later Grand Pacific Hotel (1895/8-1921) opened March 12, 1898 with 188 rooms.[2]
Notes
- ^ Host, William R. and Brooke Ahne Portmann, "Early Chicago Hotels," Arcadia Publishing, 2006, p. 12., ISBN 0-7385-4041-2.
- ^ a b c d e Host, William R. and Brooke Ahne Portmann, "Early Chicago Hotels," Arcadia Publishing, 2006, p. 46., ISBN 0-7385-4041-2.
- ^ a b Berger, Molly (2005). "Hotels". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved March 28, 2007.
- ^ Picture of plaque at the site
- ^ "Oscar Wilde's 1882 Lecture Tour of America". Oscar Wilde in America. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
41°52′43″N 87°37′53″W / 41.8786°N 87.6315°W