Rick Wiegand, who dramatically renovated the Ambassador Hotel at 2308 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, is now renovating the Executive Inn across the street at 2301 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Wiegand is spending $1 million to gut and renovate the Executive Inn’s 40 rooms and lobby. The hotel will be renamed the Ambassador Inn and will re-open May 15.
The Ambassador Inn will be positioned "a couple of tiers above the Executive Inn and a tier below the Ambassador Hotel," Wiegand said.
Room rates at the Ambassador Inn will be about $99 to $149 a night, compared with $69 to $79 a night at the Executive Inn and about $139 to $179 a night at the Ambassador Hotel.
Wiegand said business has been going well at the Ambassador Hotel, which prompted him to upgrade the Executive Inn.
"We’re basically going off of the success that the Ambassador Hotel is showing," he said. "The time is right to add another property to the market."
The Ambassador Hotel has attracted a mix of leisure and business travelers, including visitors to Marquette University, Miller Brewing Co., Harley-Davidson Inc. and Milwaukee Brewers games at Miller Park. The hotel has taken advantage of its proximity to those destinations, Wiegand said.
"I think our location is actually better than the downtown hotel market," he said. "We shuttle guests to wherever they want to go downtown."
For more, visit www.ambassadorinnmilwaukee.com.
