Hilton Milwaukee has completed a $42-million renovation. The project updates the city’s largest hotel, blending the building’s 1920s architecture with contemporary design. Renovations included a refreshed lobby and bar, updated ballrooms and meeting spaces and 554 fully redesigned guestrooms.
“Hilton Milwaukee has been a treasured icon in the city for nearly a century,” said Michael Evans, president of Marcus Hotels & Resorts, the hotel’s operator. “With this renovation, we are proud to preserve this property’s legacy while warmly welcoming the next generation of visitors, whether they are coming to Milwaukee for leisure, business, or the latest conference at the expanded Baird Center.”
The hotel’s grand two-story lobby retains its original crystal chandeliers, marble pillars and floors, geometric motifs, and intricate woodwork. The updated design uses a neutral palette to highlight these features. The Monarch Lounge lobby bar includes soft cream tones, custom blue and brown carpeting, and a stone-and-metal fireplace, creating a gathering space for guests.
Hilton Milwaukee offers more than 34,000 square feet of meeting space, the largest in the city. Renovations to the three ballrooms, pre-function areas, and meeting rooms preserved original crystal chandeliers, antique mirrors, gold-leafed details, and silver accents while adding new carpeting, draperies, and wall coverings. Modern features include updated lighting controls and digital signage throughout the spaces.
Guest rooms were fully refreshed with interiors combining soft woods and gold accents, custom carpeting, draperies, and artwork. Furnishings and lighting reflect the symmetry and style of the Art Deco era, while new amenities include motion-sensor lighting, in-room steamers, and updated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Bathrooms were redesigned with marble countertops, built-in lighted mirrors, and fixtures from Wisconsin-based Kohler Co.
Opened in 1928 as the Schroeder Hotel, the building was designed by architects Holabird and Roche, known for Chicago’s Palmer House. Marcus Hotels & Resorts purchased the property in 1972, renaming it the Marc Plaza and completing an $8 million renovation that reduced 850 rooms to 550 units while adding a parking structure and swimming pool. In 1995, it became the Hilton Milwaukee City Center and joined Historic Hotels of America in 2011. The current renovation coincides with its rebranding as Hilton Milwaukee.
The hotel serves as a hub for visitors and local residents, offering convention facilities capable of hosting groups of nearly any size. Its location places guests near the Baird Center, Theater District, lakefront, Summerfest grounds, Fiserv Forum, and Historic Third Ward. On-site dining options include Milwaukee ChopHouse, Miller Time Pub & Grill, The Monarch Lounge, Starbucks, and The Café.
