The '' ' Blackstone Hotel ' '' has been dubbed " The Hotel of Presidents " . It was once considered one of Chicago 's finest luxury hotels , and a dozen 20th-century U.S. presidents have stayed at the hotel . In addition , the Blackstone has also become part of Chicago 's history as the city that has hosted more United States presidential nominating conventions ( 26 ) than any other two American cities , a history which goes back to the 1860 Republican National Convention hosted at the Wigwam . The Blackstone also hosted first Czechoslovak president T.G.Masaryk . The hotel has a special room designed for use by presidents which was separated from the rest of the hotel by hollowed out walls in which the Secret Service could operate . In 1911 , Republican businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald — then president of Sears , Roebuck & Company — invited African American educator Booker T. Washington and a few dozen of Chicago 's leading citizens to discuss raising funds for Washington 's Tuskegee Institute . Washington became the hotel 's first African American guest . As a result of the meeting , Rosenwald became a supporter and trustee of Tuskegee , and the following year initiated a campaign to fund the construction and support of schools throughout the South to provide an education to black children , by the time of his death building nearly 5000 schools educating well over half a million African American children
1860 Republican National Convention
1860 Republican National Convention
The Blackstone Hotel