amanuensis

In May, I'll be staying six nights at the Milwaukee Hilton using points. The website of the hotel has an onsite indoor waterpark, and so I called the hotel to see if I would get free admission, since, in my mind the possibility existed that they would consider it an excercise facility. I was told, "no, but I'll make sure you get your free breakfast." Well, I'm Silver, and thus not entitled to a free breakfast as a right. Has anyone else had the experience of being given breakfast coupons when they were just at the silver level? In Las Vegas at the LVH, I was given a room upgrade, and took advantage of the hotel spa for free, but otherwise, I have not gotten too many perks at the silver level. Also, I am curious about what opinion those of you out there have about the Milwaukee Hilton in general.

TrojanHorse

Any comments on this property as to what is there to do close by? parking? upgrades? club lounge? weekend club lounge?

Any other Hiltons nearby that you might recommend and why?

thanks

RTWSTARALLIANCE

This property in smack in downtown where
there are many restaurants and bars. I have
not stayed at the property and only a few
years ago on my first trip to MKE went to the
steak restaurant for a meeting. Hotel looked
tired and is older. Our office manager said
the Hotel has just been renovated. Check to
verify. I stay at Hyatt. Sorry that's all
I know.

beaubo

Formerly 'The Mark' hotel. Have stayed 4 times in last year; ask for rooms in the 'high rise' section of the hotel. Solid B+ hotel. You could do a lot worse in downtown MKE!

Jakester

They have one of Wisconsin's best (insert your own joke here) inside waterparks attched to the hotel.

Eastbay1K

An update - my "last night" there as a HHGold - I hadn’t stayed there in quite some time. I may not again for quite some time, although downtown properties in my 2 preferred programs are limited to this hotel.

Check in – there was an unmanned HHonors line, and I asked an unoccupied clerk if I should go to that line, to which there was no reply, and she kept standing there, unoccupied. There were 3 clerks total, and the other 2 were busy, but as I was first in line, it wasn’t important. Check-in was efficient, in fact, the unoccupied clerk decided to ask me if I needed help just as the other clerk became free. I chose the other clerk. One breakfast voucher in the key packet although the reservation was for 2 (I didn’t make an issue because my friend never made it up from IL). Room was unremarkable, and phone wasn’t connected properly for data use (which I finally fixed). Insufficient number of plugs for a laptop and what is already plugged in (ie, you have to unplug the lamp.) A tad of mildew /staining in the shower. Also, on the way to the room, as I was wheeling my bag down the hallway, a maid and service person were talking, with two big carts obstructing the hallway, and they just looked at me as I approached, and did not move. I thought I didn’t need to say anything, as I was clearly an arriving guest trying to get to my room, and I stopped, just staring at them when it occurred to them that maybe they needed to move a cart so I could get by, and the man mumbled something as I passed.

Then the screaming kids and slamming doors started – in fact, it wasn’t the room across the hall, it was across the hall and a door down, and I heard it loudly in my room. My evening shower was a trickle barely enough to rinse the soap and shampoo off, but better than the next morning’s shower. Morning started at I don’t know what time to slamming doors from across the hall. Morning shower water pressure was so poor at times that the thing you pull up to make the bath go to shower wouldn’t even stay up. At times the only way to have enough pressure was to have scalding hot water that still was at very poor pressure. The breakfast buffet included with the gold coupon appeared decent, but I didn’t have much appetite.

Upon checkout, when telling the clerk of my lovely stay (ie, one usually stays at a hotel to sleep and shower, none of which really occurred very well), the couple next to me checking out, who were staying one floor down, had the exact same experience as I did – screaming kids, slamming doors, and he said “the shower water pressure was a joke”. The checkout clerk apologized, and she would have taken breakfast off the room if I had paid for it, but since it was complimentary, instead, just offered her apology, I paid the bill, and left. I really didn’t feel like filling out a comment card, but may drop the manager a note after I get home.

Billiken

Why didn't read these posts before today. I'm here in my MKE Hilton room. The desk has no electric receptacles anywhere near it. So I use my laptop for a couple of hrs and then put it on the charger.

Impressive lobbly but it stops there.

No wonder my room was only $107 (mid-week).

Rut Dog

You may find the H MKE River a better alternative. My experience is dated, though, to 1999.

Pros: Nice service, good restaurant, decent rooms, nice North Shore location near park, easy access to downtown.

Cons: Poor (no) soundproofing, beds are rock hard, not downtown.

I was on a long term, high stress assignment in MKE. Because of the noise and the rock hard beds I was not sleeping well, so I moved right down the street to the Woodfield Suites, which had much more comfortable beds and was quieter.

But the service at the H was definitely better, and, according to the website, the H was "renovated in 2001". If this includes soundproofing, then I would certainly give this H another shot.

Eastbay1K

Look under the curtain to the right of the desk where the lamp is plugged in. If your cord is long enough, you can use that one, and then plug your phone in the bathroom for recharging (which was my electrical plan for my fortunately short stay).

dweebe

So is there anything in the Hilton family of hotels worth staying at in downtown MKE?

Eastbay1K

Well if its any consolation, the GM called me today, a day after receipt of the letter. He was apologetic, kind, and was going to "look into" the issues, and asked if he could offer me anything. I didn't ask for anything as I didn't figure I'd be in MKE in the near future. I should have asked for something off the bill or extra HH points, but didn't, as the entire stay was a disappointment. But it was a quick, polite reply from the top, within a day.

MKEUALFlyer

Spent my last weekend in MKE at the Hilton. I knew about the water park and the attraction that it is for kids, but clearly did not expect the expereince we had.

Check in was efficient, but not overly friendly or rude. We found the elevator after a bit of searching, near the entrance to the water park. The smell of chlorinated pool water was overwhelming because of the volume of people coming out of the park who didn't bother to dry themselves off before going upstairs to their room. So here we stand, bags in hand, sharing an elevator with ten other people dripping wet, half without towels. And this wasn't a unique experience (other than when we got back late at night)... every single time the elevators were swamped with pool goers, and kids.

Room was nice, and well presented, but it was an adjoining room which we didn't need. And then the slamming doors and kids running up and down the hallways began and lasted for hours. Someone earlier in this forum mentioned it... it's true, and it seems to find it's way right in to your room.

Received the appropriate HHonors packet on checkin, including two free bottles of water at the gift shop, and breakfast coupons. But,word of advice on breakfast, the cafe has an OK buffeet and omelet bar and service was prompt, but the place is yet again overrun with kids and all the trappings of said kinds including food on the carpet, etc. Management clearly understands the need to entertain the kids as they had a magicaian wandering the restaurant trying to capture the kids attention. But beware, if you're looking for a quite breakfast you will not find it there.

Hotel parking is steep for the city at $14 a day, compared to the ramps that are within a block that are a fraction of the price.

TransWorldOne

If you're looking for a better hotel downtown, I would suggest:

1) The Pfister
Milwaukee's best hotel. A member of Preferred Hotels.

2) Wyndham Milwaukee Center
Not a great hotel, but a very solid business hotel. I don't think you'll have any complaints staying here. Wyndham By Request is a great program.

TransWorldOne

Interestingly enough, that hotel is owned by the Marcus Corporation, along with the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, the Pfister, and the Baymont Inns chain (formerly Budgetel).

iflybos

I try to stay with the Hilton family of hotels when I can. The Hilton in Madison, WI on the banks of Lake Monona is outstanding. However, in MKE, the only place I stay is Hotel Metro (hotelmetro.com). Great service/location and unlike the rundown Hilton and Hyatt a sharp, clean, functional hotel.