Work to revitalize the guest rooms at the
Hilton Milwaukee hotel is now complete, marking the first phase of what owner and operator
Marcus Corp. has called the most extensive renovation project in company history.
Marcus on Tuesday announced that the hotel's 554 guest rooms are now open for bookings following extensive upgrades, including a refreshed look, new furnishings and lighting, modern amenities and remodeled bathrooms. Work on upgrades to the guest rooms began in late 2024, kicking off a multi-phase, $42 million renovation of the 1920s-era hotel (previously known as the Hilton Milwaukee City Center) at 509 W. Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Milwaukee.
The next phase of the project, which began in June, will transform the hotel’s 34,000 square feet of meeting and event spaces as well as its two-story lobby area and bar, known as The Monarch Lounge.
The Hilton's newly renovated guest rooms feature a warm color palette with soft wood and gold accents. Custom draperies and artwork adorn the walls, complementing the custom-designed carpet. The rooms have been modernized with motion sensor lighting and steamers as well as updated heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The remodeled bathrooms feature newly tiled showers, marble countertops,
Kohler Co. fixtures and mirrors with built-in lighting, according to a news release.
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As for the rest of the property, the project will aim to refurbish and preserve original design features such as crystal chandeliers, antique mirrors, gold-leafed adornments and bright, silver accents, while upgrading soft finishes like carpeting, draperies and wall coverings. There will also be updated lighting controls and new digital signage throughout. Work on the ballrooms, meeting spaces and lobby will continue into the summer, Marcus CEO
Greg Marcus said on the company's earning conference call in May.
When Marcus Corp. first
announced the project in December last year, it also said that the number of available rooms at the Art Deco-style Hilton would be scaled back from 729 to 554. The renovations would cover the 554 guest rooms in the hotel’s original footprint, built in 1928, and the remaining 175 rooms located in the west tower, which was added to the building in 2000, would no longer be utilized and would “eventually” be removed from available room inventory.
In an interview with BizTimes shortly after the announcement, Greg Marcus
citied an unhealthy downtown hotel market and the threat of competition from larger hotel chains as the main reasons for reducing the Hilton's room count. It remains unclear what will happen to the property's 14-story west tower once those rooms go dark but Marcus suggested the structure could be repurposed into something else, such as multifamily housing.
The Hilton Milwaukee is located across Wisconsin Avenue from and connected via skywalk to the newly expanded
Baird Center. Its large scale and close proximity to the convention center makes it one of two “convention headquarters” hotels in the city, along with the 481-room
Hyatt Regency at 333 W. Kilbourn Ave.
“As Milwaukee’s premier meeting and convention hotel, we are thrilled to unveil our newly renovated guest rooms at Hilton Milwaukee,” said
Jeff Stewart, general manager of Hilton Milwaukee. “The guest rooms reflect the hotel’s rich Art Deco history while offering the latest amenities for today’s traveler. Guests will enjoy the updated look and fine furnishings during their stay, as the rooms become a respite for them after attending the latest convention or exploring the city.”
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