The Pfister Hotel

The Pfister Hotel
Original Romanesque Revival building, with tower behind, in 2022
Map
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeHotel
LocationMilwaukee, United States
Coordinates43°02′21″N 87°54′21″W / 43.03922°N 87.90571°W / 43.03922; -87.90571
Completed1893
Height250 ft (76 m)
Technical details
Floor count21
Other information
Public transit accessBus interchange MCTS
Tram interchange The Hop
Website
www.thepfisterhotel.com

The Pfister Hotel is a luxury hotel in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. The Pfister Hotel is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Owned by Guido Pfister and his son, Charles F. Pfister, it was opened in 1893 at a cost of over $1 million ($33.9 million in 2023). Designed by architect Henry C. Koch in Romanesque Revival style, it had features uncommon in its time like fireproofing, electricity, and thermostat controls.[1][2]

The hotel was purchased in 1962 by hospitality magnate Ben Marcus, who renovated the hotel and added a 13-story addition behind the building without compromising the original building itself, and continues to be owned by the Marcus Corporation. The Pfister Hotel has the largest hotel collection of Victorian art in the world. The hotel has held the AAA Four Diamond award for 37 years, since the inception of the ranking in 1977.[3]

It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the East Side Commercial Historic District.[2]

The 1986 National Register nomination states:

The Pfister is the last nineteenth century grand hotel remaining in downtown Milwaukee. Local materials were used in its construction with rock-faced, Wauwatosa limestone for the first two floors and cream brick for the third through eighth floors. Indiana limestone and terra cotta were used as trim. Changes to the exterior include the removal of the massive stone portico on the Jefferson Street facade and the closing of an entrance at the southeast corner. The main lobby has been refurbished and restored to resemble its original appearance."[2]

  • The pool at the top of the 1962 tower addition
    The pool at the top of the 1962 tower addition
  • The lobby of the original building
    The lobby of the original building
  • The lobby at Christmas
    The lobby at Christmas

See also

References

  1. ^ "Boutique Milwaukee Hotel | the Pfister Hotel | Downtown Milwaukee |".
  2. ^ a b c Les Vollmert; Robin Wenger; Carlen Hatala (1986). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: East Side Commercial Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved April 9, 2020. With accompanying 63 photos from 1986 (#41 is of Pfister Hotel)
  3. ^ Thepfisterhotel.com