paytonc

Never any elite upgrades at aloft or Element, per SPG policy. An upgrade might be scored at check-in or with points.

That said, I just booked a room for family with my points and noticed a "1 King Aloft Suite" room pop up as a selection, for the same price. I'll report back after their stay on what exactly that means.

I stayed there this summer and thought it fine. It's quite similar to other alofts (I've also stayed at Lexington and Minneapolis), which is to be expected, but the bar seems busier since it draws some walk-in traffic. It's bounded by the riverwalk and Third Street, which has several Wisconsin/German themed restaurants and such. Downtown's main shopping area is a few blocks south, and many restaurants and brewpubs can be found up and down the riverwalk, from Lakefront Brewery in the north down to the Milwaukee Ale House in the south to Water Street Brewery across the river.

As for public transit, many tourists will only need to remember one local bus route that covers both the near north and near south side neighborhoods; it conveniently stops just across the river. The hotel is a mile north of the intermodal station, where intercity buses & trains stop (including the hourly Wisconsin Coach bus to MKE and ORD).