Meet Ken

Ken Price, Director of Public Relations of the Palmer House Hilton, is a well-known Chicagoan who has garnered a reputation for being one of the most active and involved promoters of the city.

His activities run the gamut from presidential and heads of state visits to creating publicity and promotions that attract visitors to Chicago.

What's Happening

POTTER PALMER IV WELCOMES THE NEXT GENERATION OF POTTERS TO THE PALMER HOUSE

(Chicago, IL) - Potter Palmer IV (second from right) guest of honor is the first to arrive at the opening night party of Potter’s in the Palmer House, the new bar and lounge in the hotel named after his great great grandfather, founder of the Palmer House. Palmer is joined by his fiancée, Erica Meyer. The couple was welcomed by Palmer House Hotel Manager Dean Lane (left) and John Silvia, the hotel’s Resident Manager. Guests are able to experience a mix of new and old by being taken back to the days of the 20th Century icons who grace the walls of the contemporary bar. The intimate lounge celebrates classic entertainment with swanky leather couches and retro lighting. Potter’s is part of the Palmer House’s historic $170 million restoration and renovation project currently in its final stages.

JOFFREY DANCERS INTRODUCED TO A DIFFERENT TYPE OF “BARRE”

(Chicago, IL) - Deanne Kelly, Director of Food and Beverage of the Palmer House, joins dancers from the Joffrey Ballet (left to right), Mauro Villanueva; David Gombert, and Company Manager Greg Stuart, on tour of the new Potter's bar and lounge in the Palmer House. Guests are able to experience a mix of new and old by being taken back to the days of the 20th Century icons who grace the walls of the contemporary bar. The intimate lounge celebrates classic entertainment with swanky leather couches and retro lighting. Potter's is part of the Palmer House's historic $170 million restoration and renovation project currently in its final stages.

POTTER'S WELCOMES BEAUTY AND GRACE BACK TO THE PALMER HOUSE

(Chicago, IL) - Among the special guests at the opening of the new Potter's bar and lounge in the Palmer House were dancers from the Joffrey ballet. One of the unique features of Potter's is the large gallery of photos of many of the great performers who appeared in the Palmer House's Empire Room in the 20th Century. The dancers (left to right), Valerie Robim; Kathleen Thielhelm; Abigail Simon; Erica Lynette Edwards; and Justine Humenansky, recreate the famous photo behind them of the original Merriel Abbott dancers who appeared in the Empire Room of the Palmer House. Guests are able to experience a mix of new and old by being taken back to the days of the 20th Century icons who grace the walls of the contemporary bar. The intimate lounge celebrates classic entertainment with swanky leather couches and retro lighting. Potter's is part of the Palmer House’s historic $170 million restoration and renovation project currently in its final stages.

THE BROWNIE'S SWEET HOME.. CHICAGO
THE CHICAGO WAY IN THE KITCHEN | BIRTH OF CONFECTION BEGAN RIGHT HERE AT THE HISTORIC PALMER HOUSE HILTON -- OR DID IT?

Even as I type these words, a freshly baked pan of Palmer House Brownies cools in my freezer, growing richer, firmer and fudgier by the minute, the light apricot glaze bonding in bliss with chocolate, sugar, butter and walnuts. "I am an American, Chicago-born," as Saul Bellow says in The Adventures of Augie March, and so of course I must root for this fine Chicago brownie, the world's very first brownie -- if you choose to believe the local lore -- and therefore one of our town's greatest gifts to humanity, right up there with the Weber Grill and nuclear fission. While the Palmer House Hilton claims its brownie as the world's very first, invented by a chef at the hotel in 1892, nobody there can produce a shred of proof -- it's all a matter of tradition and talk. "You're looking for documentation? Forget it," admits Ken Price, a spokesman for the Palmer House. "It just doesn't exist." So, my fellow Chicagoans, what now? Are we people of faith or science?
For full story and the story of the Palmer House Brownies, click here.

400 TUBAS TOOT CHRISTMAS TUNES IS A PALMER HOUSE TRADITION

(Chicago, IL) - TubaChristmas at the Palmer House has become a holiday tradition in Chicago since its inception nearly 30 years ago. Having nearly 400 tubas in the same place at the same time is by itself a highly unique happening. TubaChristmas is a concert of Christmas music orchestrated solely for the Tuba, created by Indiana music professor Harvey Phillips, knows as the "Paganini of the Tuba." This year TubaChristmas will take place on Saturday, December 22, at the Palmer House.

HOTEL'S TOP BRASS WAITED 80 YEARS FOR THIS CLEANING GRAND BALLROOM CHANDELIERS WILL BE BACK UP BY JANUARY'S SOXFEST
By Maudlyne Ihejirika | Chicago Sun Times

When the chandeliers first went up, bathtub gin and speakeasies, hot jazz and flappers were all the rage. Now, the 23 massive brass and crystal fixtures from France that have graced the Grand Ballroom of the historic downtown Palmer House have come down -- for the first time in over 80 years. A huge undertaking that's part of the $170 million renovation of the nation's longest continuously operating hotel, restoring the chandeliers has drawn an army of workers to the hotel, charged with restoring the intricate works -- together weighing over 5 tons -- in time for SoxFest, annually held in the ballroom at January's end. "The thing I found really unusual is that every component no matter how tiny is marked, like M1, M2, M3, etc., almost like an erector set, which leads me to believe they were assembled here," said brass cleaner Sylvia Balouris. On Tuesday, she was among dozens of employees with Lumenelle Inc. and Brook Electric -- firms commissioned to do the work -- who filled a hotel hallway turned chandelier workshop with humming and clanking, as they meticulously cleaned each chandelier's aged brass and more than 5,000 Czechoslovakian crystals, 10 of them over 10 feet tall.

It's the largest restoration project ever by the two firms, noted Beth Raymond, who oversees repair of crystals. "We pull them down strand by strand, repair wiring, replace chipped crystals and clean them in a four-step process," Raymond said. "Each will be touched by hands at least five times."

NANCY PELOSI TAKES A WALK DOWN THE ANNALS OF SHOW BUSINESS HISTORY AT THE RESTORED PALMER HOUSE HILTON

(Chicago, IL) - Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi on a recent visit to Chicago's Palmer House Hilton got a tour of the restored hotel's guest room floors by Hotel Manager Dean Lane. Pelosi was among the first to see the corridors following the restoration -- the theme of which pays homage to the hundreds upon hundreds of show business luminaries from the 20th century who played the Palmer House's fabled Empire Room. In the mid-1930's, during its 70 year run as one of the most important night clubs into the world, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra featured a shy unknown, blue-eyed singer from Hoboken, New Jersey. His is among the countless galleries of photos that now grace the hotel's walls -- and the one Pelosi took a few extra minutes to admire wistfully. The photo is of a very young Frank Sinatra.

HILTON APPOINTS LISA BERTOMEU AS NEW AREA DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING FOR CHICAGOLAND HILTON AND HILTON BRAND HOTELS (Chicago, IL)

Lisa Bertomeu, a 14-year veteran of the hotel industry has been named Area Director of Sales and Marketing for the Chicagoland Hilton Hotels that includes Palmer House Hilton, Hilton Chicago, Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport, the Drake and Conrad Hotels. The announcement was made by Joe Messina, Hilton Regional Vice President, Sales and Marketing.

PALMER HOUSE WELCOMES HOLLYWOOD GUESTS
--- EACH OF A DIFFERENT FEATHER

(Chicago, IL) -   John Silvia, Resident Manager of the Palmer House (left) welcomes screen actor Philip Baker Hall, along with Hall's co-star, Joe Duck in the soon to be released movie "Duck."   Baker and Joe Duck chose Chicago's Palmer House because of its animal friendly policy, and in this case its duck friendly policy.  The two screen actors were in Chicago on a promotional tour for the up coming film.   When Silvia asked Joe Duck how he liked the venerable Chicago hotel thus far, the feathered guest responded, "everything's just ducky!"

TONY AWARD WINNING ACTOR EDWARD JAMES OLMOS HELPS CHICAGO'S PALMER HOUSE HILTON RECOGNIZE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

(Chicago, IL) -  Dean Lane, Hotel Manager of Chicago's Palmer House (left) and Iriana Roldan  the hotel's Senior Event Manager, took advantage of screen actor Edward James Olmos visit to share their enthusiasm for Hispanic Heritage month.  The Tony award winning actor and founder of  Latino Public Broadcasting network was presented with an historic key to the hotel and the official coffee table book on Chicago.

JOHN P. SILVIA APPOINTED PALMER HOUSE HILTON'S NEW RESIDENT MANAGER

John P. Silvia, a 30-year veteran of the hotel industry, 20 of which with Hilton Hotels, has been appointed to the position of Resident Manager of the Palmer House Hilton, the longest continuously operating hotel in North America. The announcement was made by J. Peter Lynn, Palmer House Hilton General Manager. Silvia's most recent position was at the Hilton Chicago O' Hare Airport -- ranked one of the finest airport properties in the world, as the hotel's Executive Assistant Manager. Prior to that, he functioned as Director of Food and Beverage at the hotel.

SPA CHAKRA ANNOUNCES LATEST LOCATION AT NEWLY RENOVATED PALMER HOUSE HILTON

Chicago, IL—July 2007: As part of a $170 million-dollar restoration project, The Palmer House Hilton, Chicago’s world-famous landmark hotel, will unveil Spa Chakra, the hotel’s new five-star wellness facility, in early 2008.

The perfect culmination of this highly anticipated renovation, Spa Chakra’s arrival at The Palmer House Hilton exemplifies the eminent hotel’s desire to create a grander, more contemporary establishment for a new century of visitors and guests while preserving its renowned grandeur and historic integrity.

“The addition of facilities of the calibre of Spa Chakra is demonstrative of the world-class amenities Palmer House guests can expect as a result of our $170 million restoration and renovation project. We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship." —J. Peter Lynn, General Manager The Palmer House Hilton

PALMER HOUSE HOTEL MANAGER CAPTURES 2007 HOSPITALITY BRIDGE AWARD FROM HAROLD WASHINGTON COLLEGE

(Chicago, IL) - Dean Lane, Hotel Manager of the Palmer House Hilton (third from left) was awarded the "Hospitality Bridge Award" by Harold Washington College . The award is given annually to an outstanding Senior Hospitality Professional who is building bridges between the the hospitality industry and Harold Washington College's educational endeavors.

Dean was chosen for the prestigious 2007 award because of his understanding and support of the College's mission in hospitality and that of the community college in general. "During the past year Dean has been generous with his time and expertise in advising our faculty," according to Dr. John Wozniak, president of Harold Washington College. "He has assisted the College in identifying industry specific resources as well as opened the Palmer House's 'inner workings' for our students and provided internships and other 'workplace learning “experiences for our students, Wozniak said.

The award was presented to Lane by (left to right): Dr. Wayne Watson, Chancellor of Chicago City Colleges, Bill Reynolds, Provost of the Washburn Culinary Institute and Dr. Wozniak.

PALMER HOUSE PRESENTS MAYOR DALEY’S BIRTHDAY CAKE
WITH AN OLYMPIC GOOD WISH

Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley once again got his favorite birthday cake from the Palmer House's pastry kitchen with a special feature this year.    The custom, three - tiered, quadruple confection created by Palmer House Executive Chef Stephen Henry was totally festooned in Olympics regalia, complete with a golden flaming Olympic torch.   Presenting the cake was: Mary Ann Cronin, Executive Vice President THOR EQUITIES, LLC, managing partner of the Palmer House and Dean Lane, Palmer House Hotel Manager.

PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON GETS FIRST HAND INFORMATION ON PALMER HOUSE'S $155 MILLION RESTORATION

Presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton (D) New York, showed her enthusiasm when hearing of the restoration plans of the historic Palmer House from Sandra Reinert (second from left) Project Vice President, PEPPER CONSTRUCTION. "Great! You should be restoring this hotel," Clinton said. Clinton set aside some time on a recent visit to the venerable Chicago hotel to meet with Reinert and representatives of the hotel's owners, THOR EQUITIES LLC, Debra Fahey (far left) and Elizabeth Hedgcock (far right) to catch up on her hometown's news.

Reinert is overseeing a $155 million restoration and rejuvenation program by PEPPER CONSTRUCTION. The project is considered one of the most comprehensive such initiatives ever undertaken for a hotel.

PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL BARACK OBAMA CALLS THE CHICAGO’S EMPIRE ROOM A WINNER

"It's so beautiful!"  Presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama (D) Illinois reacts to seeing the newly restored Empire Room of Chicago's Palmer House escorted by the hotel's General Manager J. Peter Lynn.  Lynn took advantage during  Obama's visit to the hotel to offer the presidential candidate some of the details of the Palmer House's $170 million restoration currently in progress.