Hotels We Like: December 2008 Archives

1 p.m. Dec. 6----
Updated with Palmer House history 3:30 p.m. Dec. 8

Here you can check out whats new with the Palmer House and take a spin through a pretty cool photo gallery. See you in the lobby...

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/hoekstra/1317828,TRA-News-Detours07.artic
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They redid the Palmer House.
Now can they redo me?
It was only fitting that the Palmer House's brand spanking new Spa Chakra is on the former 5th floor location of the Gaslight Club. The last time I was in this 10,000-square foot space was in 1985.
Jo Collins, the 1965 Playboy Playmate of the Year had been hired as manager of the Chicago Gaslight Club. The terminally Baroque Italian club opened in 1953 and closed in early 1987. It was a men's only joint filled with really friendly waitresses in skimpy flapper outfits. The Gaslight Club was regarded as the template for Hugh Hefner's Playboy Club. I spent much of that interview grilling Collins about her 1968 marriage to baseball casanova Bo Belinsky.
I have only visited one other spa in my lifetime...


HEY, WHO'S THE PAPARAZZI? Its Sun-Times lensman
Scott Stewart snagging my rubdown from Spa Chakra
Massage Therapist Coredlia Williams