Built in 1893, at the time of Chicago's Columbian World Exposition, the Congress Hotel & Annex (left) on Michigan Avenue was originally a part of the Auditorium Hotel.

The north tower of the Congress Hotel was designed by architect Christopher J. Warren and mimicks the exterior of the Adler & Sullivan Auditorium building that stands directly across the street to the north. Warren, who started his career with the famed Chicago firm of Burnham and Root, consulted with Adler & Sullivan on the Congress design.

The south tower, built in 1902 and 1907, was designed by the firm of Holabird and Roche.

Purchased in 1950 by Albert Pick hotels, the Congress was known for many years as the "Pick Congress Hotel." In 1998, under new ownership, the hotel was renamed the "Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center."

With its great downtown location and views of Grant Park and Lake Michigan, the Congress is still a popular destination for tourists who want to experiance a vestige of Chicago's past.

The Main Lobby (right) of the Congress Hotel and Annex welcomed visitors with large marble columns and ornate archways with bronzework and mosaic designs.

Large lantern chandeleirs hang from the vaulted ceiling with globe sconces along the pillars. A large green carpet compliments the green and gold ceiling decoration.

Heavy black leather chairs are flanked by brass spitoons and a large clock fills one of the archways..

The Elizabethan Room (right) of the Congress Hotel was as grand as any European castle.

Wood paneled walls and a high vaulted wood ceiling add drama to the room. The black and white marble tile floor is covered with large red area rugs.

Comfortable green and red velvet chairs invite guests to relax and enjoy the large oil paintings on the wall or sit by the marble fireplace.

The Japanese Tea Room (right) brought authentic East Asian design to Chicago.

This warm room features with dark wood mosaic ceilings, custom hanging brass Japanese lanterns, embroidered carpets and giant bronze urns. Tables are simply decorated with small square table clothes set for afternoon tea.

Sprays of pink plum blossom flowers ads too the Japanese look.

The Congress Hotel's Pompeian Room (left) was a space based on an ancient Italian design.

This early view of the room shows elaborate Pompei-inspired wall murals and painted ceiling. Large pots line the walls with a stone urn is in the middle of the room.

Large stone fireplaces include seating areas with leather chairs, green area rugs and brass spitoons.

Bronze caryatid statues line the ceiling next to bronze grillwork and green marble columns.

The Tiffany & Company designed glass Fountain (left) was the centerpeice of the Pompeian Room.

Rectangular and circular fluted columns surround a multi-tiered green glass fountain and half-moon-shaped pool. The top of the coulumns is gold with round gold orbs embedded in the beams above.

Terra cotta tile mosaic floors with black bands are remnicient of ancient Roman times.

The Pompeian Room (left) was also used as a dining room.

This view shows the bronze Roman-inpired statuary and decorative grates as well as a colorful painted ceiling. Globe floor lamps provide lighting.

The Tiffany Fountain can be seen in the distance.

The Congress Hotel's Marble Corridor (right) connected the many rooms of the building.

Originally called "Peacock Ally" the long hallway is lined with white marble columns, a tiled floor and rows of chairs for visitors to stop and rest.

The corridor's ceiling is gilded in gold.

The German Room (right) was a warm, colorful room with the feeling of a German pub.

Large wall murals are a highlight of the room. The painting on the left appears to be an image of an angel flying through the clouds, with a rural scene on the back wall mural.

Unique green and blue stained glass chandeliers provide lighting with white bulbs on top to provide uplighting to the painted-beam ceiling and murals.

Dark wood paneling and tile floor with pub-style chairs create an informal setting. A beer kiosk with canopy gives the feel of an outdoor Munich beer hall.

A grand white marble stairway leads down to the Congress Hotel's Restaurant (left) looked more like a dining hall from an old European palace.

This large room with ornate gilded beams and ceiling looks more like a dining hall from an old European palace.

Two giant candelabras sit atop a basesthat also serve as a radiator.

Tall windows are decorated with heavy green velvet curtains and indivdual stained-glass windows above.

The Banquet Hall (left) was the Congress Hotel's grand ballroom.

The elaborate arched ceiling features gold framed murals of angels and clouds. Gold arched doorways surround the second floor balcony.

The ground floor is docorated with black and white marble walls and leaded glass windows

Giant candelabras, similar to those in the Restaurant, are attached as sconces to the walls three stories above the main floor. The chandeliers light up large bas relief sculptures of angels near the top of the ceiling.