The Grand Pacific Hotel was one of the first two prominent hotels built in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, Illinois, after the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...

.Host, William R. and Brooke Ahne Portmann, "Early Chicago Hotels," Arcadia Publishing, 2006, p. 12., . The hotel, designed by

William W. Boyington William Warren Boyington (July 22, 1818 – October 16, 1898) was an architect who designed several notable structures in and around Chicago, Illinois. He was also mayor of Highland Park, Illinois. History Originally from Massachusetts, W.W. Bo ...

and managed for more than 20 years by John Drake, was located on the block bounded by Clark Street, LaSalle, Quincy and Jackson.Host, William R. and Brooke Ahne Portmann, "Early Chicago Hotels," Arcadia Publishing, 2006, p. 46, . It was a replacement for the Paficic Hotel, which had been built in 1871 (also designed by Boyington), only to burn in the fire later that year. Drake hosted "Great Game Dinners" featuring exotic cuisines at this hotel. These dinners were a Chicago social institution for more than 50 years. Newspapers devoted 4 inches to its menu and guests. Along with contemporary Chicago luxury hotels such as the

Palmer House The Palmer House – A Hilton Hotel is a historic hotel in Chicago's Loop area. It is a member of the Historic Hotels of America program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Palmer House was the city's first hotel with elevators, ...

, Tremont House, and Sherman House, it was built in the

palazzo A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

architectural style of the day. The hotel also accommodated wealthy permanent residents in addition to transient guests who enjoyed the palace hotel. Many notable celebrities stayed here, including

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

on his first visit to Chicago as part of his 1882 lecture tour of America.

James A. Garfield James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 4, 1881 until his death six months latertwo months after he was shot by an assassin. A lawyer and Civil War gene ...

stayed at the hotel during the

1880 Republican National Convention The 1880 Republican National Convention convened from June 2 to June 8, 1880, at the Interstate Exposition Building in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Delegates nominated James A. Garfield of Ohio and Chester A. Arthur of New York as the offic ...

, during which time he was nominated on the 34th ballot to represent the party in the election for President of the United States. The hotel was the site where

Standard time Standard time is the synchronisation of clocks within a geographical region to a single time standard, rather than a local mean time standard. Generally, standard time agrees with the local mean time at some meridian that passes through the r ...

was adopted on October 11, 1883. The western half of the 1873 structure was demolished in 1895 in order to make way for the Illinois Trust and Savings Bank building. The remaining eastern half was remodeled by the architectural firm Jenney and Mundie. It reopened March 12, 1898, with 188 rooms, and remained open until 1921. In 1921, it was demolished to make way for the Continental Illinois Bank building. Image:Grand Pacific Hotel embers.JPG, The preceding Pacific Hotel after the 1871

Image:Grand Pacific Hotel 1912.JPG, in 1912 Image:Grand Pacific Hotel Empire Room.JPG, Empire Room one of 15 dining rooms in 1913

Notes

Hotel buildings completed in 1873 1873 establishments in Illinois 1895 disestablishments in Illinois Demolished hotels in Chicago Hotels established in 1873 Hotels disestablished in 1895 {{Chicago-struct-stub