Situated right next to Lake Michigan, Milwaukee is a beautiful, bustling city filled with successful businesses and commerce. As the biggest city in Wisconsin, Milwaukee is home to the world’s largest music festival (Summerfest), a vast, gorgeous convention center, and the headquarters for major corporations like Harley-Davidson and Northwestern Mutual. From conventions to expos and festivals, the city is swarming with opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to amplify their customer reach and grow their businesses.
if you’re traveling to Milwaukee on business soon, it is pertinent to know the best hotel to stay at and the top establishments to take your clients and hardworking employees to. Home Business Magazine recently connected with VISIT Milwaukee and had the chance to travel to the city and check out some of its top locales for entrepreneurs. Below is a must-experience hotel in Milwaukee and just a few of the city’s many incredible places.
Where to Stay: Potawatomi Hotel & Casino
This splendid, L.E.E.D. designated hotel offers all the amenities a business traveler would need and is just a quick ten-minute drive from downtown Milwaukee. The 364 chic and comfy hotel rooms and 16 lavish suites feature brightly lit bathrooms and a posh aesthetic. Guests are treated to a flatscreen TV, refrigerator, coffee machine, a smart thermostat to maximize comfort, and 24/7 staff to help make the stay as pleasant as possible. Business travelers will also enjoy catching up on emails at the desk and workspace in each room.
In addition to the superb rooms, there is also a first-rate fitness room, room service, dry cleaning services (ensure your suit is in pristine shape for your presentation!), and a delightful Stone Creek® Coffee Bar where entrepreneurs can grab a latte before a big trade show. Potawatomi also offers multiple meeting spaces to host business presentations, galas, conferences, company luncheons, customer appreciation parties, and more. They are elegant spaces to help you elevate your business to new levels of success.
After a big day of networking, Bar 360 (a gorgeous hotspot located in the middle of the casino) is the perfect place to grab a drink and catch up with teammates. Even more impressive is the enormous casino that features over 150,000 feet of gaming space and almost 3,000 slot machines. There are exciting gaming options for everyone, whether you want to try your hand at Blackjack, bingo, Texas Hold’em, Poker, or Roulette.
This highly impressive hotel also houses the 500-seat Northern Lights Theater that features top-notch entertainment and six remarkable restaurants. One must-experience dining option is RuYi, which offers heavenly noodle dishes and eats from Japan, China, Thailand, and more. Another fun spot is the Fire Pit Sports Bar & Grill, which provides a riveting space for guests to mingle and watch sports games on almost 30 big screen televisions.
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino is also in the process of building a second tower (measuring 180,000 square feet!) that will contain 119 rooms and suites and additional meeting space. It will also house a spa, which is perfect for entrepreneurs who want to indulge in some pampering in between meetings. This tower addition is also fantastic for the city’s local economy, as it is anticipated to create 50 permanent hotel jobs! The hotel and casino already employs nearly 2700, making it one of the Milwaukee area’s top 25 employers.
For more info and to reserve a room, visit paysbig.com. You can also follow Potawatomi Hotel & Casino on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Where to Take Your Clients to Dinner: Dream Dance Steak
Conveniently located right in the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, Dream Dance Steak is undoubtedly the best spot to take a client out to dinner. Featuring a lovely, relaxed atmosphere to discuss future projects, the restaurant offers mouthwatering steaks, luscious seafood options, and tantalizing appetizers. You will go gaga over the delectable Parisian Gnocchi (which features Brussels sprouts and butternut squash) and Wisconsin Cheese Curd Fritters that come with a side of tomato jam and four cheese sauce.
The crab legs and Caesar salad are also a must! The restaurant also offers a large wine list, many local beers, and scrumptious dessert options, such as the outstanding Strawberry Lemon Thyme Cake made with lavender milk crumble. The restaurant will leave a lasting, fantastic impression on your client and is also a terrific option for a celebratory dinner with all your hardworking colleagues that help your business thrive. Dream Dance Steak is currently closed for renovations and will re-open in Fall 2019.
Where to Bond with Your Employees: Lakefront Brewery Tour
If you are looking to create wonderful new memories with your teammates, definitely treat them to a tour of this exceptional brewery! Rated the #4 Brewery Tour in America by Trip Advisor, this tour gives attendees a fun inside look at the exciting history of this massive brewery and how all of the tasty beers are made (all presented by a witty tour guide who makes sure to mix in plenty of hilarious jokes). Each tour ticket includes a souvenir pint glass and four 6 oz pours of beer– the Lakefront Riverwest Stein is a must-try!
Tours are offered every day of the week. The Friday-Sunday Weekend Tours are $11 and go through the entire brewery. The Monday-Thursday Weekday Tours are $9 and they cannot go through the whole brewery, as they are in production during the week. After the tour, Lakefront’s huge beer hall is the perfect space for a team dinner–everyone will love the vegan sloppy joe! Tour tickets can be purchased online at lakefrontbrewery.com.
Where to Have a Casual Business Brunch: The Iron Horse Hotel
If you’re looking for a place to have a divine brunch with colleagues or a client, The Iron Horse Hotel’s restaurant is the perfect spot. It offers a vast, lovely patio with many comfy seating options and a relaxing vibe. The food options are also first-rate, such as the exquisite Fried Chicken and Waffle that features a drizzle of chili honey. Another sublime option is the flavorful Shakshuka, which features baked eggs and fresno chili. For more information and to reserve a table, visit The Iron Horse Hotel’s website.
Another Must-Experience Establishment – Milwaukee Public Market
The marvelous indoor Milwaukee Public Market is filled with local vendors that offer food options to satisfy any palate. Looking for fresh seafood? St. Paul Fish Company offers delicious eats like Cajun BBQ Shrimp, Crab Cakes, and Mahi Mahi. If you want a tasty and wholesome, animal-friendly meal, On The Bus Milwaukee offers phenomenal vegan sandwiches and wraps, avocado toasts, date smoothies, and much more. Those looking for Asian cuisine will also love Thai-namite‘s authentic Thai dishes and sushi!
Other noteworthy Milwaukee gems are Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery and Indulgence Chocolatiers (definitely try their Milwaukee Chocolate Bar made with dark chocolate and sea salt!). There are also many other fun shops and restaurants in the Walker’s Point neighborhood. For more information about distinguished places in the Brew City, check out VISIT Milwaukee’s website. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more trip ideas and help with your itinerary.
