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From Primedia Publications

The Pfister Hotel
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

By Susan Bard Hall

Milwaukee businessman and hotel founder Guido Pfister died five years before he accomplished his goal of building a hotel where even ordinary people would be “treated like royalty.” But his son Charles and daughter Louise Vogel carried on his vision of a “palace for the people” and completed the project.

The Pfister Hotel opened on May 1, 1893, sharing its opening day with the Chicago World’s Fair some 90 miles away. Built at a cost of $1.5 million, The Pfister claims to be the first all-electric hotel and takes credit for the innovation of separate heating controls in every guestroom.

A 23-story tower was added in 1966 and refurbished during the centennial renovations in 1993. But the focus of the restoration was the lobby where the original fireplace, complete with terra cotta angels, was uncovered when a café was dismantled.

Peter Mortensen, Pfister concierge for the past nine years, is the hotel’s resident historian and conducts tours of the hotel, when arrangements are made in advance. He’s likely to explain that The Pfister’s guest registry has been signed by nearly every U.S. president since William McKinley as well as Sarah Bernhardt, Bob Hope, Jay Leno, Bruce Springsteen and Elvis, to name just a few of the hotel’s better-known guests. Mr. Mortensen also is a walking encyclopedia of anecdotes; he’ll eagerly share that Dick and Harry, two bronze lions at the first-floor staircase, have been greeting guests every day of the hotel’s 102-year history and that Tom Brown has operated the shoe-shine concession since 1937.

One of the newest hotel treasures is a green marble time capsule permanently on display in the lobby. It will be opened in 2093 to commemorate The Pfister’s 200th birthday. Designed to complement the hotel’s turn-of-the-century decor, the three-foot capsule holds almost 200 items—memorabilia of the landmark hotel’s first 100 years, including historic letters and photos from special events, dinner menus dating back to 1893, an original room key and a modern key card and a 1927 ticket from the day Charles Lindbergh visited The Pfister.

Art lovers will be interested in the hotel’s collection of over 80 original 19th- and early 20th-century oils and watercolors adorning guestrooms, hallways and the Michael H. Lord art gallery. According to The Pfister, this collection of landscapes, seascapes and portraits by European and Milwaukee artists is the largest of its type on permanent display in any hotel in the world.

The 307-room hotel, owned and operated by the Marcus Corporation of Milwaukee, also is a member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. Milwaukee itself has plenty to offer Historic Travelers. Because of the influx of German emigrants, including Guido Pfister who came to Milwaukee in 1845, the town was referred to as the most German American city by the late 1800s. Historic Milwaukee, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization, conducts several guided walking tours showcasing the city’s ethnic neighborhoods and architectural heritage.

Over 20,000 works of art from the 15th century to the present are displayed at the Milwaukee Art Museum (closed on Mondays). Animal lovers won’t want to miss the internationally famous Milwaukee County Zoo (open year-round). Brewery tours are conducted by Miller Brewing Company, Pabst Brewing Company and Sprecher Brewing Company, a microbrewery (call ahead for tour times and prices).

The Pfister Hotel
424 East Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 273-8222, (800) 558-8222



Susan Bard Hall frequently writes about the hospitality industry.
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