Hotel Review: Residence Inn Milwaukee Downtown

Another week and another Milwaukee Hotel review. This week I’m staying at the Residence Inn by Marriott Milwaukee Downtown. I really liked the Residence Inn Milwaukee’s location, large suites, and room amenities. The hotel was also very clean and priced right. I was a little disappointed by the shower so I’ll get into that later.

I think I’d stay here again at the Residence Inn Milwaukee, but I might look at some other hotel options first. Not that this is a bad hotel, it’s perfectly pleasant. I just think there are some better options in the area like the excellent Springhill Suites Milwaukee(Review Here). Anyway, let’s get into this Residence Inn Milwaukee hotel review.

In This Review

Residence Inn Milwaukee Downtown Location

The Residence Inn Milwaukee is located right in Downtown Milwaukee between Michigan and Wisconsin just across the river from Water St. This is a great location for exploring Milwaukee. There are a ton of great restaurants and bars in the area.

The Residence Inn is also right on the Riverwalk along the Milwaukee River.

Residence Inn Milwaukee Downtown Lobby and Check-in

The Lobby at the Residence Inn Milwaukee is actually a lot more grand than I was expecting. It’s not like the Hilton across town, but it’s nice. I checked-in and got my room key. Out the door under the stairs is the Riverwalk. Behind me is the car drop off area.

To the right is the breakfast area. During the evenings people were often hanging out here.

Behind the front desk is a hallway to the elevators. The first few floors of the building are not hotel rooms so you’ll want to take elevator.

Residence Inn Milwaukee Downtown King Room Review

I walked into the king room at the Residence Inn here in Milwaukee and I was really impressed. The room is large and well laid out. It could easily be a studio apartment.

When walking in, to the left was a desk. It was a real usable size too with plenty of outlets and light.

Further into the room was a sofa and table. I always appreciate when a hotel room has a place to sit and relax other than the bed.

Opposite of the sofa is the single bed. I really liked this bed at the Residence Inn, it was very comfortable and the pillows were very good too.

Next to the bed was a night stand with an alarm clock and outlet to charge devices.

Residence Inn Milwaukee Kitchenette Review

To the right of the front door was a kitchenette that was very well outfitted for a hotel in the middle of Downtown Milwaukee.

There was a sink, microwave, dishwasher, stove top, toaster and full size fridge. There are apartments that are less well equipped than this Residence Inn.

The kitchen here at the Residence Milwaukee had a full set of plate and glassware.

There is also silverware, pots, and pans. If you were staying at the Residence Inn on a longer term you could certainly prepare your own meals here.

Residence Inn Milwaukee Bathroom Review

The bathroom here at the Residence Inn Milwaukee isn’t anything amazing. It was certainly clean but I had an issue with the shower. The water never got hot, warm, sure. Just a little disappointing to not have the comfort of a hot shower.

The sink area is in the same space as the bed so if someone gets up in the night to use the bathroom and wash their hands, the light will spill into the bedroom. Not an issue for a solo traveler, but a couple would notice.

Residence Inn Milwaukee Room View

My room at the Residence Inn overlooked the Milwaukee River with had a great view down Wisconsin Ave.

Residence Inn Milwaukee Breakfast

Like all Residence Inn hotels, there is a free breakfast provided. There were cold offerings like cereal, fruit, and granola.

The buffet also had hot options like eggs, sausage, oatmeal. There was of course pastries and cold drinks too.

At the end of the buffet was coffee. This wasn’t available at all hours, just breakfast.

Because I’m Kinda Boring, I had Cheerios. I’m not a huge breakfast eater and I usually keep it simple or don’t eat hotel breakfast at all.

Residence Inn Milwaukee Final Thoughts

I really liked the vast majority of the Residence Inn Milwaukee. As weird as it is, the lack of a steamy hot shower makes me want to look at other hotels. I should give the Residence Inn another shot, it’s very possible that my room had an issue and every other shower in the building works perfectly.

I loved the large rooms, the separate sofa area, and the large desk. The kitchenette is more than I needed on this trip, but for a longer stay would be very welcome. The location of the Residence Inn is perfect for Downtown Milwaukee, right on the river and easy to walk to lots of restaurants and bars. I’ll give the Residence Inn another shot, but only if the price is right. There are so many other great hotels in Milwaukee.

SpringHill Suites Downtown Milwaukee Review

Hilton Milwaukee City Center Review

Hilton DoubleTree Downtown Review