Congress Plaza Hotel
The Congress Plaza Hotel is located on South Michigan Avenue across from Grant Park in Chicago at 520 South Michigan Avenue. Its eleven story edifice was originally designed by architect Clinton J. Warren as an annex to the Auditorium Theater across the street. The two buildings were linked by a marble-lined underground passage called Peacock Alley. After opening for business in 1893, for the World's Columbian Exposition, the hotel underwent two major expansions and renovations, first in 1902 and then again in 1907 which brought the total complex up to 1 million square feet (93,000 m2). The design and construction of these two additions were overseen by the firm of Holabird & Roche. The hotel now features 871 guest rooms and suites. Through the 1930s the hotel was run by hotel industry pioneer Ralph Hitz's National Hotel Management Company. At this same time, part of the hotel was used as the location for a Benny Goodman NBC Radio Show. Following the outbreak of World War II, the Government purchased the Congress Hotel and used it as a training school for U.S. Army Air Forces. It reopened for civilian use in time for the summer political conventions of 1944. At this time, John J. Mack was president of the Michigan-Congress Hotel Corporation.In 1950, the Pick Hotel Corporation bought the hotel and oversaw a major renovation of the entire hotel, which included new suites and restaurants.Another modernization project began in the 1960s, which added a ballroom and escalators.The hotel is not currently affiliated with any national chain. It has been owned by a group of investors led by Albert Nasser of Tel-Aviv, Israel, since 1987.The hotel is frequently noted as one of the most haunted buildings in Chicago. The podcast "And That's Why We Drink" used stories of the haunted activity of the hotel as a topic in their February 19, 2018 episode (episode #55).
Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Congress Plaza Hotel (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).Congress Plaza Hotel
South Michigan Avenue, Chicago Loop
Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address External links Nearby Places Show on map
Geographical coordinates (GPS)
| Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|
| N 41.8754 ° | E -87.6245 ° |
Address
Congress Plaza Hotel
South Michigan Avenue 520
60605 Chicago, Loop
Illinois, United States
Open on Google Maps