Ambassador Hotel
2308 W. Wisconsin Ave.
(414) 345-5000
Perfect for pampering out-of-town guests or taking a vacation in your own city, the Ambassador Hotel goes beyond spacious, comfortable rooms by providing complimentary parking, convenient shuttles to Downtown locales and a fitness center, along with valet, concierge and massage services. The hotel’s Caffe Deco gets the day started with coffee and bistro delights, and those in the mood for fine dining need look no further than Envoy. The Ambassador’s beautifully restored Art Deco style and modern, high-tech amenities merge the past with the future to create one of today’s best luxury boutique hotels. (Robbie Hartman)
County Clare
1234 N. Astor St.
(414) 272-5273
County Clare offers Milwaukeeans and their guests a true Irish experience. The rooms are quaint yet spacious, and overnight stays include perks like Internet access and hot breakfast. A trip to the restaurant and pub completes the experience with authentic Irish dishes, a constant flow of Guinness and cozy Irish décor. The bartenders will keep your glass full, and the regulars will remind you to keep your coaster close. Sláinte! (Emilee Weier)
Hotel Metro
411 E. Mason St.
(414) 272-1937
Milwaukee Street was still waking from its ghost-town years when Hotel Metro opened, adding an attractive bar and an imaginative restaurant to Downtown. The elegantly postmodern hotel has also earned a reputation as one of the city’s hippest, most comfortable resting places. Beyond the marbled foyer are stylish suites with contemporary amenities. Using sustainable, recycled or organic materials whenever possible, the Metro strives to keep its carbon footprint small. (David Luhrssen)
The Iron Horse Hotel
500 W. Florida St.
(888) 543-4766
The Iron Horse Hotel in Walker’s Point is quintessentially Milwaukee, not so much because it occupies a beautifully refurbished warehouse from the city’s manufacturing heyday, but because it’s geared toward business travelers and motorcycle enthusiasts. The Iron Horse has the custom furnishings, original art, swanky guest rooms and luxury linens of your typical upscale boutique hotel, but it is the unparalleled amenitiescovered motorcycle parking with rag bins and check-in carts, and rooms outfitted with tile entrances with custom hooks for hanging heavy leathersthat elevate this unique escape far above the ordinary. (Sarah Biondich)
Pfister Hotel
424 E. Wisconsin Ave.
(414) 273-8222
The venerable Pfister Hotel has been at the top of the list for travelers to Milwaukee since 1893. It also provides amenities for the locals, especially Blu, the 23rd-floor lounge with a splendid view of the city by night, along with a good coffee shop on the ground floor and a lobby bar that often serves high tea in the afternoon. The Pfister has an artist in residence as a counterpoint to its collection of Victorian art. (D.L.)
Photo: The Iron Horse Hotel
