We are locals who decided to have a romantic evening in the city and we were not disappointed. This hotel is incredibly beautiful. It was the original Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance building and much of the original beauty is still there. The lobby is gorgeous, with mosaic tile floors, vaulted ceiling with a domed skylight, lovely carved woodwork, and the original elevators, as well as details too numerous to mention here. It's as beautiful as the Pfister for half the money...great bargain!

We had a King suite, which included a large sitting room with a couch and comfy chair with ottoman. There was a large tv in this room, as well as in the separate bedroom. The bathroom was nice, and the bedding and towels were great. Remarkably, the hotel is very quiet, which is unusual in the city. This is a brand new hotel and it shows.

The staff is excellent. We found that our lamp wasn't working and mentioned it to the front desk staff on our way out to dinner. They said it would be taken care of immediately, and it was.

You can easily walk to the Third Ward, as well as lots of great dining downtown. It's also right across the street from the Grain Exchange building, so if you've got an event there, this is a natural.

We will definitely stay here again when we want a "stay-cation."

Booked a Saturday night for a girls night out mostly due to location. Perfectly situated between the Third Ward & downtown. Hotel lobby is really cool as they kept a lot of the elements of this historic building. Double queen room was clean, and there was plenty of room for 4 of us. Staff was super friendly. Price was reasonable for a downtown hotel on a Saturday night. We will definitely be back!

Not at all what I expected....and far exceeding my idea for a HGI stay in Milwaukee. The hotel has keep the historical charm in the lobby, elevators and hallways, yet offers it's guest a most excellent stay. Parking is a bit off, down to the corner in an open/unsecured lot - 10 usd/day or valet (same lot) for 24 usd/day. Close to many greatt dining spots. Except for the terrible brew coffee in the rooms, this is an excellent choice. I hope to return again with my wife to explore the city even more.

I was very happy with my weekend stay. The building's architecture and design are truly unique and splendid. The rooms have very high ceilings, but otherwise the amenities are pretty standard. The beds and bedding were quite comfortable. The staff were very helpful, and I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of noise from inside or outside the building. I researched parking in advance because of comments in other reviews that the hotel parking was challenging, and found a lot a block away with covered parking that takes credit cards. Just don't park in any of the reserved spaces.
http://milwaukee.centralparking.com/Milwaukee-525-North-Water-Street-Parking.html