The Astor Hotel

Hotel

Poor experience of no heat with an overnight, outdoor low temperature in the high 40's. The hotel hallway was noticeably warmer than the room. Three attempts were made with the front desk staff over three hours to resolve the issue, only to be told each time that it's an old hotel and the steam heat takes longer to rise to the floor I was staying on. This was an interesting explanation since the outdoor temperature was nearly as cold the previous night. Apparently, they didn't turn the heat on before or they turn it off every day, which seems illogical. After the third attempt and over three hours later, they finally had the brilliant idea to provide a space heater. A shift manager is not available outside of the early day shift and the hotel manager failed to return several front desk phone calls. A follow-up email was sent to the hotel manager and the property manager, however after two weeks, no response to my unfortunate experience. Management is obviously ill-equipped to provide proper education to staff for unusual events. It shouldn't have taken three hours for a resolution and calls to management shouldn't go unanswered from staff. Management appears to be apathetic to guest's concerns as shown by their lack of follow-through with service recovery. It's also unnerving that no manager is on-site at all times. You have been forewarned!

Stayed there during a very very busy weekend in Milwaukee in July this year. They were very accommodating and staff was very helpful and polite.
Loved that it had old charm.
Great shuttle driver Greg.

It’s a historical building. You get a real key. The accommodations are minimal. The decor is amazing. The staff is friendly. It is clean.

Horrible customer service.

We went for the princess ball in the ballroom of the Astor hotel. The place was gorgeous and very well kept!

Beautiful place. We went there for a princess event truly beautiful place.

Completely disappointed. Loved the initial charm and the old feel of the rooms. Hate that the temperature of the rooms cannot be controlled. Sleeping with the windows open to control the heat index. Called the front desk to check to see if we have cable tv. 5min later a young kid came up and told us that our room doesn’t have cable. Seems pretty lacking in accommodations for the price.

I only visited to see a play that took place near the bar, but the interior is elegant and cheerful. It was just the place for the performance taking place in the 1930s. I have never walked on such plush carpeting. The bartenders were friendly, and made me a delicious and very pretty old fashioned. Although I can't comment on the rooms, it's located a short walk from the lake in an area where the buildings are beautifully old fashioned.

Very nice place in downtown. Staff is very polite and helpful. It's good for the money.

A lovely, historic hotel with well appointed rooms, especially for their age. The front desk person was super kind during check-in and made me feel quite welcome. It's a convenient for getting downtown, to the lake, and to the highways.

I loved how unique the hotel looked. Very beautiful! Only downside is, they charged my fiance twice for a room that we only stayed one night in. We tried to get a refund. They said it would take up to 5 day. Its been past 5 days, my fiance called and they said they never pulled it out of his account. B. S. We are pretty upset about it and will definitely not be going there again. Make sure you dont get charged twice and screwed over on a refund.

Nice historical hotel in the east side on Milwaukee. The rooms have been modernized and are on the small side but nice. You are also within walking distance of many restaurants and bars in the Milwaukee area.

The shuttle driver dropped us off at an event and told us himself he would be available to pick us back up prior to midnight. So when we called him directly at 11:03pm and he said he was on his way we believed him. Instead an hour later, no shuttle, no call back and another employee at the hotel said the driver was done and gone at 11:30! So we were lied to and left stranded. Most of the employees have very poor customer service, we had no hot water, and the air conditioning unit in the room was so loud we ended up sweating all night in an effort to sleep. The tub was very slow to drain so stood in a foot of water trying to wash up and get out quickly. I have traveled a lot and this was the worst hotel I have ever been to by a landslide. And they don't even care or make any effort when you tell them what's going on so save yourself a whole lot of aggravation and stay anywhere but this place. The location was the only plus side but not worth all the negatives.

Stayed for 3 days. The room is very outdated from the bedframe, sheets, door, and sink. It was so hard to wash my face when there's two seperate faucets for hot and cold. The room was TINY as well. The hallways remind me of the hotel from the Shining. It was creepy and not inviting. The walls are thin. I heard a man on the phone with a woman. I would never recommend this hotel nor go back to stay in it.

When you first see it you think"Wow, this looks fancy! " The lobby is nice and set up to look that way. But once you get into your room… It's like you're stuck in last century. You can hear everything. The utilities barely work. It was just weird.

The Astor has a great location, in that it's right next to downtown but in a much more laid back area. The rooms are old, but well maintained and clean. All around a positive experience!

Avoid this place at all costs. The people who work there are friendly but not helpful. There is no way to regulate the temperature and our room had to be 120 degrees from the minute we walked in until we left. It was snowing outside and the temperature was 34 outside and even with the windows open we couldn’t cool down the room at all. The water out of the sink was also too warm to drink. I told the front desk and they basically told me it has an old boiler system and they could not control it. Needless to say we didn’t sleep much and were miserable the whole time. To add to our discomfort, the Wi-Fi was really slow and the bed felt like I was sleeping on a pair of cheap jeans. This hotel is the absolute worst place I have ever stayed and I do not feel in the least bit bad about giving it a one star rating.

Great Venue, Great Food, Great Staff! We began planning our wedding with the Astor in March of 2017 and married in September of 2017. The Astor was great to work with (especially Bethany, she is a PRO)! The staff there did not let us down when it came to planning for the wedding and day of the wedding coordinating. Chef Kyle and Herman, who were in charge of the kitchen, provided excellent food and service to our guests. The venue needed very little decoration for our big day because of the inherent charm. The space you get is more than most venues in the area. We were so close to the lake front, and we were able to reserve hotel shuttles in advance to take the wedding party to the lake for pictures. We were also able to access the rooftop for a perfect city and lake backdrop. Thanks to the Astor Hotel and Ballroom, our big day was a success, and all of our guests are still raving about our wedding! Thank you so much for a great day and for all the wonderful memories!

The room was good-sized, and the beds were pretty good, but there was no air conditioning/heat at all, and the room was REALLY hot. I stayed in the beginning of March, and I had to leave the windows open overnight. The service made up for that though; I went to the front desk asking for late-night food delivery, and the receptionist gave us a recommendation for a pizza place and a bunch of coupons for that place, so we only had to pay like 40%.

I give this hotel absolutely 1 star. I didn't want to give it any but I couldn't post unless. The hotel rooms aren't even fit for the homeless. I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy. The hotel is VERY OUTDATED, old and smells. Looks like a prison rehab facility. I even got bed bugs from this place. Disgusting living conditions for the money the charge. A waste of $129.00. I even slept with my clothes on fully and still got bed bugs on my Wrist. By pass this hotel if possible.

Went to hotel for 15 year anniversary attending a mystery murder dinner. Nice room. Beautiful exterior. Location not good for parking as hotel doesnt have parking for the dinner guests.

The room was good-sized, but there was no air conditioning/heat at all, and the room was REALLY hot. I stayed in the beginning of March, and I had to leave the windows open overnight. The service made up for that though; I went to the front desk asking for late-night food delivery, and the receptionist gave us a recommendation for a pizza place and a bunch of coupons for that place, so we only had to pay like 40%.

Not terrible. Cheap with parking near lakefront. But shabby decor, out of order laundry and change machine. No in-room climate control. No coffee anywhere in the hotel or even walking distance.

Our room had no hot water, my brother in laws room was overheated and they couldn't get it to cool. My father in laws room on another floor was freezing all three nights and when they told the staff about it they were told it was "an act of God" and nothing was done. It is in a good spot for getting places around town but the overall experience will keep us from going back. They also charged extra to our card and instead of dealing with the unauthorized charges themselves made us talk to our bank. Completely unimpressed with the customer service there, the staff just does not seem to care with the exception of one young lady who was equally appalled around how we got treated.

The hotel was really pretty nice. But our room had a strange odor and it was so hot we had to open the window, in February! No thermostat in the room. I would stay there again though. Bed was very comfortable.

Great location! Price was also very reasonable. The hotel had a very large accidental deposit on my credit card — $200. This seemed strange. Also, the shower was not built for anyone over 5'5", which was inconvenient.

We saw a show in their lounge/bar area. The hotel has a lot of history and beauty to it. It has the perfect atomosphere for a night cap before you go back to your room. We also looked into booking their hall for our wedding. It's perfect for 200 people.

Dim and threadbare lobby, while we were checking in a homeless man came in to use the bathroom. Rooms were basic and at least surface clean. Clear signs of people living at the hotel and to top it off cockroaches. Also parking lot was potholed like a warzone.

Very nice vintage hotel with great sights nearby. Definitely old but very unique and really cool. Staff was good. No complaints.

Great Venue, Great Food, Great Staff! We began planning out wedding with the Astor in March of 2017 and married in September of 2017. The Astor was great to work with (especially Bethany, she is a PRO)! The staff there did not let us down when it came to planning for the wedding and day of the wedding coordinating. Chef Kyle and Herman, who were in charge of the kitchen, provided excellent food and service to our guests. The venue needed very little decoration for our big day because of the inherent charm. The space you get is incomparable with other venues in the area. We were so close to the lake front, and we were able to reserve hotel shuttles in advance to take the wedding party to the lake for pictures. We were also able to access the rooftop for a perfect city and lake backdrop. Thanks to the Astor Hotel and Ballroom, our big day was a success, and all of our guests are still raving about our wedding! Thank you so much for a great day and for all the wonderful memories!

If you want to be offered one thing & given another this is for you. I understand it's a old building. Was given room opposite side of lake view. Charged for parking. Charged higher rate than told. Email receipt vs letting you see at checkout. Cold room with not heat control on a squeaky bed your grandmother would throw out. I stayed at Hyatt cheaper than this place.

Wonderful hotel, especially for history buffs. Rooms are small (as they were back in the early 1900s/1920s when the hotel first opened) but they boast all of the modern conveniences you will need (new tv's, Wi-Fi, etc) without sacrificing the old world charm of the property. The hotel also doubles as an apartment complex, so you'll notice older residents on the restored elevator carrying groceries in from the corner store, which only adds to the charm of your stay. Very conveniently located with a number of fine restaurants within walking distance. A really nice neighborhood and convenient, secure parking. When we visited, they were undergoing a bit of restoration work in the lobby. But nothing got in the way and the friendly staff was unnecessarily apologetic about "the mess" (there wasn't a "mess" as far as we could tell and we thought it was cool that they were working to bring the place back to its once super-elegant self). Bottom line, if you'd like to stay in a beautiful, historic hotel in the heart of Milwaukee, look no further. We really enjoyed our stay and still brag about it many months later. Such a cool place and the price was very reasonable. Highly recommended.

Nice, clean room with kitchenette. No breakfast. The hotel has an old world charm to it. It kinda reminded me of the Hotel from the Shining.

Slightly older structure and furnishings all around, which lend a kitschy, antique atmosphere, but not the most comfortable thing. The provided pillows are not the best, the power outlet placements are inconvenient, and in our room, the bathroom door is warped so badly it can't shut. Nonetheless, the staff are friendly and helpful, the room is well equipped, the Wi-Fi is free, and the location is perfect. Just be aware of what you're getting into :-)

Location was really neat. Central to the city of Milwaukee, easy access to downtown and Brady Street. Parking was a bit of a bear, as the parking lot is rather hard to back out of. The room was clean and comfortable. There was a mini fridge and a counter area in the room. This hotel has a lot of character and our stay was very enjoyable.

I saw a show in the ballroom adjoining the bar at the Astor. The ballroom retained some of the aura of fancier, by-gone era. It was fairly large for the event we attended. Furnishings were comfortable, by and large. The bar was perhaps not as fancy as one found in a hotel like the Pfister, but it too exudes a time-worn quality, with not much like and lots of dark wood. Atmospheric, perhaps, is the best word I can find to describe it. An older gentleman at the bar ordered a finger or two of something brown in a glass with no ice. He had a water back, garnished, with I'm not sure what. Some will find the bar too dark, too remote. For others, it's the perfect departure into a forgotten tome.

The ballroom was nice enough. Retained some charm from yesteryear, though perhaps not as much or as well-preserved as at a hotel like the Pfister. Spacious. Sound was decent enough. Bar was dark, but nice, with lots of wood.

Wonderful. The staff was helpful. The rooms looked lovely, but unfortunately we could not stay the night there. It's older hotel vibe was nice. The location is great in downtown Milwaukee and also close to the lakefront. Great place!

Worst hotel I have ever stayed at. Poor room quality and awful customer service. Upon arrival we paid $10 (discount through AAA) for parking in the hotel parking lot. We proceeded to our hotel room where we discovered our room to be in rough shape. I then found a large spider crawling on the bathroom floor and another along the side of the bed. I went down to speak with the front desk employee who was extremely rude to me when I expressed my concerns with the room. I even brought the dead spiders wrapped in toilet paper to show proof. He responded by telling me that this in an old building and spiders from outside come inside. He told me that if I never had a spider in my house before that, " I am a liar", which I never even claimed that was the case. I then told him I wanted to cancel tomorrow night's stay as I am not interested in staying here another night. He responded by saying that if we canceled we wouldn't get our money back for the next night. He was very cut and dry, did not sympathize or apologize for the conditions of the hotel room. I cannot believe the poor service I just received.

I was there for a wedding reception. It has awesome decor around the guest Hall bar area. Very neat tables under archways. I kinda wish the main dining hall was a little bigger. The amount of people fit, but very snug. This also made the dance floor quite small.

We got in our room and quickly realized the sink was broken. We asked the front desk to check it out and they said nothing was wrong with it, even though it was still leaking from the surface and the knob was popped off. Also as a fun little add on, the lights in only our room went out and it took them 20 minutes to do somthing about it. I love being in the dark at 11:30 pm in a hotel that wad built in 1920. The staff is very nice, but the hotel needs alot of renovatio.

Great rooftop deck! Love the historic atmosphere and beautiful old touches.

Great hotel! If you can get access to the roof it has an amazing view overlooking the city of Milwaukee. Very well kept building and large parking lot.

Not my favorite place in the world. Front desk is literally falling apart. One of the people working the front desk complained about their long hours to us and how she was ready to be done. She was pretty rude to another guest. Rooms are old and haven't been updated in some time. Bathroom is small and not the best shape. We had ants in our bathroom (7th floor). Overall I would highly recommend County Claire across the street over the Astor. Rooms are neat and prices are about the same!

Beautiful hotel in a 96 year old building. Because it's so old, there are a lot of noises. But the neighborhood seemed nice, staff was very nice, and we would stay there again. We didn't eat there or use any other services, just slept there.

I stayed at the Astor for 2 weeks in Sept/Oct of 2013. Location is the elegant old area of the city, just 2 or 3 blocks from the Lakefront, and very close to the downtown. The lobby still retains the elegance of 100 years ago, right down to the quiet music in the background … "cocktail music" of the 1930's and '40s.
I stayed in a "Long Stay Parlor Suite", which gave a very very good daily rate, especially considering the amenities. A full kitchen, a small dining room, and connected to the bedroom was a huge living room area with very comfortable sofa bed (I didn't sleep on it, just relaxed on it), and very comfortable overstuffed chair. There was a huge walk-in closet outside the bathroom. The view was not good, looking at the other wing of the building, but the suite had about 8 windows, so the light was very good.
I was in Milwaukee to visit 3 friends from high school whom I had not seen in many many years (more than 40! ). And the hotel staff accommodated me immediately when I asked for more dining room chairs, another comfortable living room chair, and a 2nd coffee pot. So my friends and I used my suite as the base… as my home… during my 2 week visit. We spent hours everyday in that comfortable living room!
The Long Stay also came with free parking, and as I did not have a vehicle, my friend was able to park all day every time she came to visit. There is a laundry room on each floor, very clean.