Politics & Government

Take a Tour Inside the Infamous Purple Hotel

The Village of Lincolnwood recently hired a demolition company to tear down the historic Purple Hotel. Take a look inside before it's gone.

Perhaps the most recognizable building in Lincolnwood

The infamous Purple Hotel can be remembered for a variety of historical events.

There's the unsolved murder of convicted mobster Allen Dorfman, who was gunned down in the hotel's parking lot in 1983.

Find out what's happening in Skokiewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Almost two decades later, Stuart Levine testified to the drug-fueled parties in the corruption trials of Tony Rezko and William Cellini. Levine told reporters that he snorted "10 lines of a potent mix of drugs" during a single sitting while at the hotel.

Despite all the high-profile history, the Purple Hotel also had its bright side.

Find out what's happening in Skokiewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The building at 4500 Touhy Ave. was built in 1953, and was originally called the Lincolnwood Hyatt House. Since then its changed hands a variety of times, becoming a Radisson and even a Ramada.

But everyone knew it as the Purple Hotel, and for several decades it was the place to be seen and heard. Extravagant weddings and fancy dinner parties were nothing unusual. The hotel even featured live music for its patrons as they dined in the Great Lakes Ballroom.

Wrecking Ball Has Reservations

Fast forward to today, and the Purple Hotel is a desolate eyesore.

The Village of Lincolnwood recently awarded Delta Demolition Inc. almost $1.2 million to tear down the building.

The property's current owner—Donald Bae of the broadcast firm KM Communications Inc.—was in the middle of a lawsuit with the village, which wanted him to either address the building's health violations or demolish it. The village previously sued Bae in 2006 to correct what it called "dangerous and hazardous conditions," including mold and an insect infestation.

After 45 years in business, the Purple Hotel closed in 2007 when it was found to be in violation of more than 30 building code violations. A judge ordered the hotel to close in January of that year. Its garish purple skeleton has stood abandoned ever since.

Before everything gets torn down, we thought we'd share a sneak peak of what the inside of the hotel looks like. The following pictures wouldn't have been possible without the help of Skokie Patch reader Martin Gonzalez.

Gonzalez has a knack for photographing abandoned buildings, and many of the pictures inside the Purple Hotel are eerie as they are fascinating.  

If you have any stories or pictures of the Purple Hotel during its glory days, please send me a note at georges@patch.com.

Like us on Facebook


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here