Art Deco Hotels in Milwaukee
Art Deco Hotels in Milwaukee: Ambassador Hotel
2308 West Wisconsin Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53233
414.342.8400
www.ambasshotel.com
A “new” addition to the small group of lavish Art Deco hotels in Milwaukee, Ambassador Hotel was completely revamped and unveiled in 2005. Originally built in 1928 near the peak of the Art Deco movement, the building had fallen into disrepair as the surrounding neighborhood declined during the latter half of the 20th century. It’s only blocks away from the Marquette University campus, but it’s also blocks away from the now-demolished Jeffrey Dahmer apartment building. Once inside, though, you forget about the still-slummy surroundings and focus on the intricately restored old hotel.
As a place of accommodation, Ambassador has already garnered accolades as “Milwaukee’s Premier Art Deco Hotel.” Undertaking painstaking work to reglorify and rejuvenate the building, the owner has turned this high-rise into a boutique experience that harkens back to opulent pre-Depression days while providing all the amenities a foofy hotel should have – flat-screen TVs, DVD players, Aveda products, slippers-n-robes, etc. Restaurants inside Ambassador include Envoy, featuring “global American” cuisine, and Caffe Deco, a lighter fare option. To take advantage of the city’s finest offerings, though, guests will need to take their shuttle or drive downtown.
Art Deco Hotels in Milwaukee: Hotel Metro
411 East Mason St
Milwaukee, WI 53202
414.272.1937
www.hotelmetro.com
Compared to Ambassador, Hotel Metro resides in a more tidy and convenient location: at the intersection of Mason and Milwaukee, just blocks from the Riverwalk, the Third Ward, and the Lakefront. Self-identifying as a “European-style boutique hotel,” it definitely retains an art deco flavor. One glance at the signage and the turquoise doors, and you know the look before even setting foot inside. While the Ambassador embodies a distinctly American take on Art Deco, Hotel Metro’s approach to the movement is more subtly European, as they happily admit. So, as it turns out, both Art Deco hotels in Milwaukee manage their looks differently.
Along with the neighboring (Victorian) Pfister, Hotel Metro is considered one of downtown Milwaukee’s more sophisticated hotels, appealing equally to business travelers and to tourists who can afford the tab. Guests enjoy the “rooftop relaxation spa” as well as the business-friendly services. And the quietly feted Metro Bar and CafÃ?© is known for its exquisite dessert menu (the lemon tart is a must-have) as well as its hearty but crafted weekend brunch. One potential drawback to the hotel is that it’s truly in middle of an artsy downtown street that’s seeing more and more foot traffic – and thus NOISE – on weekend nights.
