Tag: hotel-review

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA ~ The Pfister Hotel

November 2025

Why Milwaukee?

We have wanted to see Milwaukee for quite some time (we booked a trip several years ago and had to cancel) and we wanted to take the Amtrak, which departs from Union Station right across the street from our house. Thanksgiving seemed like a good time to travel by train.

This is a blog focused on hotels, so tell me a little about how you made your lodging selection for this trip. Were there lots of good choices?

If we don’t have a specific property in mind, we typically check a handful of sources to develop a short-list and then narrow down from there. Milwaukee isn’t a big enough destination to be covered on its own in most of our go-to sources, but just Googling “best hotels in Milwaukee” turned up a number of guides that we could then use to triangulate recommendations. We also typically check booking.com to see a property’s overall score and any trends with reviews; we did that for Milwauikee (even though we recommend — once a decision is made — to book directly with the hotel).

For this search, we pretty quickly arrived at a list of three hotels that met our criteria of (1) being centrally located, (2) having an on-site restaurant/bar (in case we couldn’t find a good option on Thanksgiving) and, (3) quite simply, looking interesting.

Why The Pfister?

The Pfister is Milwaukee’s historic “grand” hotel — it opened in 1893 — and, based on our research, it looked like a hub of activity for tourists and residents alike. We live a few blocks away from St. Paul’s classic, historic hotel — The St. Paul Hotel — and it always does a great job of celebrating the holidays. We imagined the same would be true for The Pfister. We weren’t wrong.

We arrived at The Pfister on a snowy Thanksgiving evening to find the lobby packed: folks heading to dinner at the hotel’s steak house, others enjoying a drink in the lobby bar, and some seemingly there just for the scene. As we checked in, staffers were putting the finishing touches on the lobby Christmas tree, which was a popular site for photos during our two-night stay. We also saw lots of preparation for traditional breakfasts with Santa that started the day after Thanksgiving.

Did The Pfister meet your expectations? If not, why not? What’s your assessment of the room given the price?

Our “premier king” room — in the tower (aka the round 1960s wing) — was perfectly comfortable. We technically had a view of Lake Michigan, but it was tucked behind other downtown buildings. One cool thing about the Pfister is its commitment to the arts. Not only does it house the largest Victorian art collection of any hotel in the world, the hotel also hosts an artist-in-residence program, and our room featured a print from one of the artists. We imagine that each guest room features a piece from a past artist-in-residence.

What else to say about the room? Its classic interior design aligned with the rest of the hotel, and everything seemed well-maintained. (A lovely person we met at a gallery during our stay noted that the hotel was in the process of renovating rooms; we think ours had been through a recent renovation.)

If we were to visit again, we might book a room in the original 1893 buildling. The historic side of the hotel is beautiful, and while the rooms might be smaller, we imagine they likely better align with the overall aesthetic of the hotel. (Our room in the round tower felt a little at odds with the hotel’s design.)

One of us forgot to sing the Bedbug Song. Do you regret this now?

I think, at this point, we can confidently say we’re in the clear, but the Bedbug Song can never hurt. You sing it at all hotels, even the fanciest, and the tradition has served us well.

“Bed bug, bed bug, leave me alone. Stay out of my bag; stay out of my home….”

What is one thing you will remember about the hotel?

How about two things?

First, the liveliness of the place. In addition to holiday events, the hotel hosted an Irish step dancing competition during our stay. Let’s just say, those dancers brought a lot of life — and a lot of luggage — to the hotel.

Second, the art collection was fun to see. We took time to wander the hallways and common areas, and it was like a visit to a museum. Milwaukee has a great art scene, which we didn’t expect, and The Pfister helps contribute to that.

It has been a long time since either one of us was in Milwaukee. How would you sum up your impressions of the city after this visit? Would you return?

We had only one full day in the city, but we made the most of it and ran out of time before we ran out of things to do. We would definitely return — maybe in the summer when we could more fully explore the area around Lake Michigan, the Riverwalk, and the Third Ward.

By the way, how was the Amtrak experience?    

The ride down was great. It was Thanksgiving day, so we had a car practically to ourselves. The route is beautiful, and sipped a Bloody Mary while watching the scenery sweep past. On the way back, the train was fully booked, and we had to scramble to find seats, which weren’t together. The Borealis — the train between St. Paul and Chicago — doesn’t do reserved seats like the Empire Builder –the longer route — does. My guess is that lots of Borealis riders would be happy to pay a little more to get a reserved seat. We definitely would.

Even though the return trip started a little rocky, we arrived back in St. Paul to a snowy holiday evening with the European Christmas Market at the depot in full swing. It was pretty magical and awesome to get off the train and walk right across the street to our home.

Stay details:

What we did, where we ate:

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Marylebone, London, UK ~ The Langham

February 2025

For a stretch of about 15 years, we visited London regularly, and we loved trying hotels in neighborhoods across the city. But our last visit was in 2018, and we had a lot of catching up to do. We know Kensington and Chelsea well and were tempted to return to a new hotel on familiar grounds (The Chelsea Townhouse was top of the list). We also, however, love Marylebone, which is near The Regent’s Park and close to so many of the things we love in the city.

In the very southeast corner of Marylebone, right across the street from the BBC’s Broadcasting House, sits one of London’s first luxury hotels: The Langham. After our terrific experience at The Langham Chicago, we decided to test the Langham brand, booking eight nights at the property where it all began: The Langham London.

Formal but not fusty

We arrived at Heathrow just after 7 in the morning, and our taxi was pulling up to The Langham by 8:15. The building is described by British Listed Buildings as “heavy Italianate style with some late Medieval details, French pavilion roofs and an east wing with a corner tower.” Put simply, it’s a building to behold – certainly at 8 in the morning, but, as we would later learn, even more beautiful at night.

The hotel’s interior is no less dramatic. The central lobby with shining marble floors and pillars supporting a tall ceiling is surrounded by a more intimate seating area with a fireplace; a room off to the side with a fabulous chandelier that houses the registration desk; and the Palm Court restaurant, which is reportedly where the tradition of British afternoon tea began. Because we arrived so early, our room wasn’t ready, but the staff member at reception got us checked in and then escorted us up to The Langham Club where we were invited to have a cappuccino and linger until our room was ready. We knew if we sat too long, jet lag would be the demise of our day, so after getting properly caffeinated, we headed out for a walk. On our way back out of the hotel – and feeling slightly less foggy – we took note of other beautiful common spaces, including the landings on each floor, each of which had artwork worth spending a little time with.

A classically beautiful room with abundant amenities

Within 45 minutes, we received word that our room was ready, so we returned to the club to pick up our key. We entered our room on the 4th floor to find sun streaming in through two large windows. A parquet-floored entry foyer with two closets to the left and the bathroom to the right led into a large room with a king-sized bed, a seating area, a coffee bar and an ample work space with a desk that faced into the room. While our tastes tend toward the modern, we had to admit that the traditional room was lovely. Books about London, a live orchid, paintings that looked to be more than simple prints, and a framed picture of the hotel’s chefs in 1907 along with a glass paperweight on the desk gave the room a distinct personality. As we were settling in, a bowl of fruit and box of chocolates arrived (the fruit would be resupplied throughout our stay).

The elegant bathroom included a deep tub, a separate water closet and a shower with some of the most amazing water pressure we’ve experienced in a hotel. Langham’s signature color is pink, and the color appears throughout the hotel, but the effect is not overly feminine. The delicate pink is balanced by dark woods and marbles, both of which featured in the bathroom. We loved the hotel’s bath products with their ginger flower signature scent, and the bamboo shoot on the vanity brought life to the space.

We used and appreciated all of the room’s amenities. From the multiple choices of china for our coffee to the fluffy Frette robes with slippers properly sized for each of us (the first time the small-footed of us had slippers that fit), we felt pampered. We loved that we could open the windows to sleep with fresh air coming in, and the storage allowed us to tuck all of our personal belongings out of sight.

Amazingly attentive service

A hotel itself is just part of the experience, and we have come to appreciate top-notch service when we encounter it. The Langham’s service felt flawless to us, and everyone we encountered was a pro. Our room was serviced multiple times during the day, but we were never interrupted. We had breakfast each morning in the hotel, and by the time we returned, the housekeepers had come and gone. Turn-down service was done when we left for dinner, whatever time that was. One of our favorite nightly rituals became anticipating the linen postcard with a story about The Langham that was left on our pillow each evening. We learned, among other things, about The Langham’s longstanding alliance with the BBC, about Langham appearances on the silver screen, and about the literary icons who frequented The Langham.

During our stay, the concierge team secured last-minute reservations at Trishna, a lauded (and quite small) neighborhood restaurant; porters held umbrellas over our heads as we got into taxis, and staff in the club learned our coffee preferences after the first day.

Nourished and quenched  

One of the best things about London is its eating and drinking establishments; it really is an embarrassment of riches. And some of those riches are right in The Langham. The room we chose included access to The Langham Club. When we booked the room, we thought the club might be a convenient place to get a cup of coffee before heading out on the day’s adventures. We’ll admit that we didn’t have high expectations. That perception was misplaced. The club – open throughout the day with a changing menu of food and drinks – became our living room. The promise of a coffee gets us out of bed each morning, and the coffee was delicious. Of course, the pastries, salmon and caviar, and eggs cooked to order didn’t hurt. In the club, we could also connect with a staff member who offered concierge-level services, and when we popped in during the evening, champagne flowed liberally.

During our stay, we also patronized the hotel’s pub – The Wigmore – twice; we had a drink in the Palm Court one evening and breakfast one morning; and we also visited the hotel’s bar, Artesian, and had a lovely conversation with our Polish server who talked to us about drinking Zubrowka vodka as a young person. (We’ll admit that we’ve had our fair share of this particular vodka, which we discovered at our neighborhood Russian restaurant). Each of our experiences at the hotel was well worth using as one of our limited London eating and drinking opportunities.

Quite possibly Langham fans

The Langham London

If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you’ll know that we tend to choose smaller, independent properties when we travel, and we certainly aren’t loyalists to any brand. But we both must admit that our two experiences at The Langham have made us think about where we might visit next because it has a Langham hotel. Can two wonderful experiences become three?

The Langham Chicago

We don’t imagine we’ll ever become exclusive to a particular hotel brand, but it’s fun to see how a brand can be expressed in different places. The Chicago and London Langham hotels are two very different properties, but they share things that we appreciate and that we would seek out. Stay tuned for where we next discover a Langham hotel.

Stay details:

  • The Langham London
  • 8-night stay: February 21 – March 1, 2025
  • Executive Club Room, #405

What we did, where we ate:

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Hastings, Minnesota, USA ~ The Confluence Hotel

January 2024

Living with a view out over the Mississippi River, we’ve always thought that river towns have a unique feel, a spirit that evokes travel and the pull of places beyond the horizon. When we heard of a new hotel just downriver from us in Hastings, Minnesota, we knew we’d have to visit, and Hastings is less than half-an-hour away, so the location was perfect for a quick overnight getaway in midwinter.

Hastings is situated where the St. Croix River, fresh from the eponymous National Scenic Riverway, joins the Mississippi on the long journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Following on the heels of its upriver cousin, Stillwater, Hastings is seeing investment in its historic downtown with restaurants, shops, and, now, the historic reuse of an old manufacturing complex, which has been remade into The Confluence, a boutique hotel just west of where the new Hastings Bridge brings you into downtown.

A factory transformed

The Confluence opened, after many pandemic-related setbacks, in the fall of 2023. The aesthetic is an architecturally fun, industrial-chic treatment that does a great job of retaining and showing off the bones of the original structure, which housed the H.D. Hudson Manufacturing Company.

The hotel has outdoor spaces looking out over the river that will surely be wonderful in warmer weather, a ballroom, and several wings with hallways that showcase the original wood and steel-beamed roof high up above the rooms that have been tucked into the shell of the original factory floorplan. But the highlight of the public spaces is the lobby/bar/restaurant area, which already appeared to function as a kind of living room for Hastings. Even in late January, the space had a pleasant and inviting buzz about it.

Everything but a wall of windows

Our room, a king suite, was large and well-appointed, with little to no wear-and-tear, as expected in an almost-new hotel. Although the room worked well functionally, the layout felt a little odd. Likely as an attempt to create a separate seating area (necessary for the “suite” designation?), the TV and cabinet it sat on were situated in the middle of the room, so either the view from the seating area or from the bed — depending on the TV’s orientation — was a view of the back of the TV. We might be extra sensitive to the intrusion of televisions on the design of a space, but this just felt awkward. Additionally, the room had only one window tucked in a corner and blocked from view when we were on the side of the room with the bed. For a building with fabulous windows, we were disappointed to have only one. With that said, upon check-out, we did learn that our particular suite (#229) is somewhat unique in its floorplan, and all of the other junior suites have a full wall of windows. For our next stay, we’ll be sure to request a different room.

On the positive side, the room had a spacious, high-ceilinged, loft-like feel with original exposed steel beams and pillars. It was fun to see some of the structure of the building carrying through to the rooms. Ours had lots of places to sit — we weren’t there long enough to test them all out — and a wet bar (although the refrigerator and coffee maker were across the room, beneath the TV). We’re guessing some of the hotel’s rooms were designed for special-occasion stays where groups may want to gather. The sliding barn door to the bath was a nice touch, and the bath was large with double sinks and a sparkling, white-tiled shower. The room also had plenty of hooks, which are one of our favorite features and always handy for travelers.

No need to venture out

We really liked the energy of the lobby space, so we decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant, Missi’s Sip & Savor. The name may be a stretch as a play on words, but the bar service, drinks, and food well-exceeded our expectations. We sat at the bar, and the bartending team was skilled, friendly, and energetic, and everyone seemed genuinely eager to work with us to create some custom cocktails, which were outstanding and a great paring with our warm smoked walleye dip, chopped salad and ale-braised short ribs. Our experience at the bar made us think the hotel is the place to go for elevated dining in Hastings.

But fun to explore beyond the hotel

The Mississippi River was the primary transportation route into the Upper Midwest before the railroads made their way to Wisconsin and Minnesota, so many of the oldest towns are strung out along the riverways. Hastings has been able to preserve much of its historic main street (actually 2nd Street East) with some wonderful late nineteenth-century buildings. The street is lined with antique shops, and in between those, we found a few gift shops with local goods and a game store with every kind of game you could imagine. Visitors will also find a good selection of places to eat and drink, some with outdoor space looking over the river. And the residential streets clustered around downtown have quite a few houses of historic interest. We’ll surely return in summer to check out what we imagine to be a lively scene.

Stay details:

  • The Confluence Hotel, downtown Hastings, Minnesota
  • 1-night stay: January 20-21, 2024
  • King suite, #229

What we did, where we ate:

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