Downtown Milwaukee’s newest hotel incorporates portions of a 126-year-old building’s original architecture with modern lighting and design.
Bear Development converted the Button Block building at 500 N. Water St. into a 94-room Homewood Suites hotel, which opened to its first guests Nov. 21.
“We felt there was a lack of high-quality, extended stay options for people downtown,” said S.R. Mills, president of Bear Development.
Each of the rooms, which range from 400 to 600 square feet include a kitchenette and pull out couch.
The first two floors of the building previously housed Joey Buona’s Restaurant and before that, Brett Favre’s Steakhouse. The third through seventh floors were vacant.
Mills, who worked on getting the building under contract for more than four years, said he is thrilled with how the $17 million project turned out.
