Visiting Our Neighbors to the North: Milwaukee’s Iron Horse Hotel Welcomes Riders and Stilettos

Blagica Bottigliero, NBC Chicago Street Team

I’ve been spending some time up in Milwaukee and will have the pleasure of going back for a talk I’m giving next month. On a previous visit, I had some downtime to get a cup of coffee and relax at the Iron Horse hotel. For you Chicagoans that are all about ‘the next hot spot’/cool club/hip lounge, you may want to take a peek up north and check out the Iron Horse.

Ok, the Iron Horse IS a hotel, yes (it’s named Iron Horse after what the Indians used to call the train), but it’s also a place you can hold meetings, get a swanky drink or roll in with your Harley. That’ right, Harley. The Iron Horse is situated right near the Harley-Davidson museum and was created from mastermind carpenter, Tim Dixon. Tim’s known for throwing some of the most over-the-top parties in Milwaukee, so it was no surprise to his friends and locals that he decided to open the hotel.

The Iron Horse was an old mattress factory and has since transformed into a woodsy, dark, gritty, yet sexy place for riders to come relax after a day on the road or a woman can sit back with her martini after a day in her downtown Milwaukee office.  The hotel is brand spanking new. I was lucky enough to get a tour of the space and chat with Tim about his vision. All and all, I was blown away.

Each hotel room has a full wall image of a gorgeous girl.  The story goes, someone mentioned that Milwaukee doesn’t have pretty girls. An artist, and Tim’s friend, wanted to set the record straight so he set out on a campaign to photograph girls in Milwaukee. The response was overwhelming  - the Iron Horse is now chock full of stunning images. Tim was thinking of the motorcycle enthusiast when he created the Iron Horse – each hotel room entrance has a ‘mud room’ for you to throw off your boots, shoes, then enter your living space – smart.

 Other hotel features: meeting rooms, a library that doubles as the breakfast area, free wi-fi, a large bar with vintage drafting chairs (I wanted to buy one from them) and a staff that is trained to know about their guests before they arrive.  Oh, for you motorcycle riders, the Iron Horse will enable you to ‘park’ your ride in their basement and/or transport it there during your cross-country trips.

I’m going to be staying at the Iron Horse in mid-November and will report back then!