The Grand Pacific Hotel (1873–1895) was one of the first two prominent hotels built in Chicago, Illinois after the Great Chicago Fire

Great Chicago Fire

The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...

. The hotel, designed by William W. Boyington

William W. Boyington

William W. Boyington was an architect who designed several notable structures in and around Chicago, Illinois. Originally from Massachusetts, W.W. Boyington studied engineering and architecture in the State of New York...

 and managed for more than 20 years by John Drake (1826-1895)

John Drake (1826-1895)

John Burroughs Drake was a hotelier who was part owner of the Tremont House hotel in Chicago, Illinois. He managed the Grand Pacific Hotel from 1874–1895. His sons, John B. Drake and Tracy C. Drake were the developers and proprietors of the Blackstone Hotel and Drake Hotel, which are both located...

, was located on the block bounded by Clark Street

Clark Street (Chicago)

Clark Street is a north-south street in Chicago, Illinois that runs close to the shore of Lake Michigan from the northern city boundary with Evanston, to 2200 South in the city street numbering system...

, LaSalle, Quincy and Jackson.

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

Palmer House

The Palmer House Hilton is a famous and historic hotel in downtown Chicago.-History:There have been three Palmer House Hotels at the corner of State and Monroe Streets in Chicago....

, Tremont House

Tremont House (Chicago)

Tremont House was a leading hotel in Chicago, United States, that served as the Headquarters for the Illinois Republican Party during the 1860 Republican National Convention held at the nearby Wigwam as they lobbied for Abraham Lincoln's nomination. Both Lincoln and Stephen Douglas started...

, and Sherman House, it was built in the palazzo

Palazzo

Palazzo, an Italian word meaning a large building , may refer to:-Buildings:*Palazzo, an Italian type of building**Palazzo style architecture, imitative of Italian palazzi...

 architectural style of the day. The hotel also accommodated wealthy permanent residents in addition to transient guests who enjoyed the palace hotel.

It was the site where Standard time

Standard time

Standard time is the result of synchronizing clocks in different geographical locations within a time zone to the same time rather than using the local meridian as in local mean time or solar time. Historically, this helped in the process of weather forecasting and train travel. The concept...

was adopted on October 11, 1883.

A later Grand Pacific Hotel (1895/8-1921) opened March 12, 1898 with 188 rooms.