The Hilton Hotel Chicago is located on 720 South Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, across from Grant Park. The hotel opened its doors in May of 1927, where it originally was named the Stevens Hotel after founders James W. Stevens and his sons, Ernest and Raymond Stevens, family to former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. At the time of the hotels construction during the boom of the Roaring 20s, the hotel fulfilled its mission to be the largest and one of the most luxurious hotels in the world.

The 1920s marked the beginning of a consumerist and materialistic decade, where demand for quality goods and new innovations, from the newest clothing brands, to radios, technology, and automobiles, skyrocketed. And the city of Chicago flourished. Wages grew and electricity transformed the Loop (Chicago’s entertainment and retail hub). Chicagoans welcomed the Roaring 20s and enjoyed all the new advancements at the time, including silent films, a greater level of partying through drinking and gambling, new businesses, and speakeasies. In an age of consumerism and partying, the Stevens family saw their opportunity to make a fortune by constructing a beautiful new hotel that will fit in with the elevated style of living at the time. The Stevens Hotel designs and talk began, architects were selected, and the largest hotel in the world in the 20s soon became a reality, becoming a national and international destination for travelers.

Google Earth Image of The Conrad Hilton Hotel Chicago