Updated elegance in central downtown Milwaukee
The Hilton Milwaukee City Center is a muscular Art Deco landmark in the city’s Westown neighborhood. It’s a great option if you’re looking for quick access to the river, Marquette University, the convention center, theaters, or arenas.
You can’t miss the Hilton from anywhere in the city, due to its striking 25-story stone building and the broadcast antennae that reaches into the skyline from the hotel’s roof. Inside, the bedrooms leave the hotel’s 1927 pedigree in the past with comfortable, updated schemes that don’t feel overdesigned.
Art Deco reigns in the grand, two-story lobby. Guests pass under brilliant chandeliers while gleaming brass details bring the Jazz Age to life. Gilt and marble columns and decorative period moldings complete the ornate effect. Settle into the stylish Monarch Lounge for a fireside cocktail and live jazz.
The hotel was built by local magnate Walter Schroeder and designed by skyscraper pioneers Holabird and Roche. According to Hilton Housekeeping Manager Jacob Ruck, “It was THE grand hotel in town when it opened.”¹
Special Touches
Art Deco stone relief carvings on the building exterior Bookcases hidden behind secret panels in the Presidential Suite Retro-looking hair salon in the lobby
Hilton Milwaukee City Center
509 W. Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53203
- Tanzilo, Bobby. “Urban Spelunking: Schroeder Hotel/Hilton City Center.” OnMilwaukee.com. N.p., 4 Mar. 2014.
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Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger.’ Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
