This hotel was originally envisioned as an annex to the Auditorium Building's hotel. The two buildings were once connected by the long-vanished, marble-lined Peacock Alley beneath Congress Street. The Congress Plaza Hotel was expanded multiple times after the World's Columbian Exposition to become one of the largest and most prominent hotels in Chicago. The hotel contains an eclectic array of beautiful ballrooms, including the first hotel ballroom ever to be air-conditioned.
