The Pfister Hotel

Reviews

• KJ

  Kaylee Johnson

  3 days ago
  2.0
  I’d like to start by saying the staff are WONDERFUL- very personable and helpful. The pool area was clean and the kids enjoyed. HOWEVER- we were placed in, not one, but TWO dirty rooms. We ordered food to the room (which was great) and promptly headed to the pool. When we returned and were all showering, our infant son was crawling around, and found a safety pin, and placed it in his mouth. Immediately following closer inspection of the room a Ferrero Roche wrapper and a used tissue were discovered behind the couch. The front desk associates were very apologetic and immediately moved us to a different room on a different floor, as well as provided assistance in moving our luggage. Imagine, to my surprise, when my toddler age son emerges from the bathroom of the “new and clean” room with a bottle of Sprite Zero. (We don’t drink that.) and THEN- there was a chunk of mystery food under the nightstand… again. We had high hopes, but will not be staying again. Womp, womp.
• EL

  Elizabeth Webb Larson

  Dec 30, 2025
  3.0
  First, this hotel is stunning and a lovely place to experience. The stuff are incredible as well and we had so many kind people we interacted with. We stayed here while visiting family and were hoping to stay here again in a few months for a family wedding, but we ran into several nights of little sleep because of extremely noisy neighbors who we could hear from our room. We did notify the staff and they helped us switch rooms but unfortunately we had another noisy neighbor. The staff can't control the behavior of people, but they tried their best to help. It would have been nice to have been comped one night considering we stayed so long, and it's something I thought a hotel like this would do. We were given ear plugs which were nice as well but did not block out the door slamming. I would not hesitate to return to the cafe, lounge, bar, or spa, but ultimately we book hotel rooms for a peaceful night of sleep and we were unable to get that a few nights of our stay. Again, the staff were lovely, but ultimately the poor behavior of others is out of their control.
• CK

  Cameron Kjelland

  Dec 27, 2025
  1.0
  The Pfister has an immaculate entrance, but unfortunately that first impression is quickly followed by two star, subpar service that is outperformed by nearby Holiday Inn and Home2 Suites. Choosing this hotel to celebrate my partner’s and my anniversary was a complete mistake and an unfortunate way to end 2025. While the Pfister is marketed as a four star property and does deliver in limited areas such as the ornate lobby and the 23rd floor Blu Bar, it falls far short of providing the level of care, service, and attention one would reasonably expect from a hotel of this caliber. During our stay in a King Suite, the toilet seat was not fully cleaned, and dog food was littered throughout the suite. This immediately raised concerns about room cleanliness. Our room service experience was even more disappointing. Around 8:45 p.m., we ordered chicken pasta, Brussels sprouts, and truffle fries. Nearly an hour later, we received only part of the order: ice cold Brussels sprouts, soggy fries, and no chicken pasta. After my partner took a bite of the cold food, she became nauseated and spent the rest of the evening hungry and sick to her stomach, ruining and ending our anniversary night. Given the condition of the food, we were genuinely concerned about the hotel’s food safety standards. When I brought the cold, soggy food to the front desk, food that had clearly been sitting out far too long, there was no apology. The only response offered was that they would try to comp the inedible and unsafe meal. When I asked about alternative food options, the only guidance provided was to find late night food a few blocks away, as the hotel restaurant had already closed. In my experience, the Pfister relies heavily on its name, image, and historic reputation, but fails to deliver on its supposed four star rating. The front desk staff showed little care or concern and made us feel unwelcome for raising legitimate issues. I would strongly encourage potential guests to reconsider their stay and explore other options. The best aspects of the Pfister are its restaurants and architecture. Unfortunately, the actual stay felt dated, underwhelming, and dirty, more reminiscent of a Motel 6 despite pricing just shy of the Four Seasons. It is disappointing to see such a historic property diminished by poor staffing. ***UPDATE: After a very pleasant chat with one of their managers, she has promised to remedy the situation. Hopefully, we or any other guests do not face the same problems at any future experiences at the Pfister.
• TK

  T K7

  Dec 22, 2025
  3.0
  I’ve hesitated to write this because I usually chalk things up as one-off experiences. However, after multiple interactions with my family over the past year, I’ve begun to notice a pattern in service that’s disappointing—especially for a hotel with the Pfister’s reputation. First experience (over a year ago): I purchased a spa gift card and asked if there was something it could be placed in (a bag or holder). I was told they were out. While finishing the transaction, another staff member stepped in, and I was suddenly handed a very nice gift bag with tissue paper—exactly what I had asked about earlier. At the time, I brushed it off as a simple oversight. Second experience (about a week ago): My wife went to purchase a gift card and was simply handed the card—no bag, no presentation. She had to ask for something to put it in, at which point she was handed just a bag. She then asked about tissue paper and was told, “Oh yeah,” and given some. Again, small, but noticeable. Third experience (a few days later at the café): My wife made reservations to take a family member to the café. Upon arrival, she overheard another party—without a reservation—being accommodated. When my wife checked in, she was asked if she had a reservation (she did). The host said they would check seating, then returned and seated the walk-in party first. My wife’s party was seated afterward, and not in comparable seating. Service continued to lag from there. The other party finished their meal, received their check, and left before my wife’s party even received their food. Individually, each of these could be dismissed. Taken together, they suggest inconsistency in service and attentiveness that falls short of what we expect from the Pfister—especially when celebrating family moments or giving gifts tied to your brand. I’m sharing this feedback not out of frustration, but out of hope that leadership takes a closer look at service consistency. The Pfister is an iconic Milwaukee institution, and we genuinely want to continue supporting and enjoying it—but experiences like these give us pause.
• JR

  Jan Rockstroh

  Dec 15, 2025
  4.0
  Arrival set the tone: highly attentive staff from car drop-off to bell service, and a busy reception made rather more civilised by the welcome offering of sparkling wine. Throughout our stay, the staff were consistently friendly and attentive at all hours — a genuine strength of the hotel. The interiors, however, feel firmly anchored in the past. Preserving heritage is admirable, but not every historic detail needs to be retained to create a museum-level experience. A thoughtful refresh would go a long way without compromising the building’s character. Our room was pleasant and clean, although hot water proved elusive after the first night. By the second night it was plentiful — possibly because we were up at 5:30am. Two flags mounted on the eastern façade directly below our room created an impressive amount of nocturnal noise, making sleep a challenge. The concierge was genuinely helpful, and the central location is excellent, with restaurants and the Public Market within easy walking distance — the latter well worth a visit for food, groceries and a bottle of wine. Overall, a good experience underpinned by excellent staff. While the hotel is listed as four-star, the level of service comfortably meets five-star expectations by both US and international standards. For the next upgrade, a skilled interior designer would be a wise investment — history can be preserved without making it feel dusty

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