Knickerbocker on the Lake

Booked a block and room for my own wedding. Apparently they had cancelled my room weeks ago without telling me, after I had spoke with a representative and she had even taken my credit card information for reservation. The people at the desk said it was cancelled and without a reservation number, there’s nothing to do. No other rooms available. No hotel room for my wedding night. Go to the Astor hotel, don’t waste your time here.

The reservations were wrong and they were charging me more for a smaller room. The clerk admitted the error, but said that this was the only rooms available. I told her that I understood, but why am I being charged more for a smaller room. Her response: You can always stay «somewhere else. I can refund your money.» I was taken aback. It was 10:00pm on New Years Eve and this was her reply. I told her to get a manager on the phone. After an hour, she came out and told me they will adjust the cost to the actual cost. I got a key, and went to my room. The next day, I decided to check out as I was not at all happy with their treatment. A bill was under my door, they never made the adjustment. To this day, no adjustment has been made.
Others may have a different experience, but mine felt like I was back in the 1950’s. I wouldnt be surprised if they had separate bathrooms. Never, ever going back there.

This hotel is amazing! You feel at home. I was a little concerned with the reviews thinking this could be really fun our really bad. But it was so nice and comfortable! I love that they made it feel like home with everything from knitted blankets in the living room to cuddle up with to the movies and cd’s stocked up in the tv. cabinet. There was stationary in the desk and books in the shelf. The kitchen was stocked with all kinds of beautiful antiques and fun old cookbooks. The staff was friendly and helpful. This is a boutique hotel don’t expect it to feel like the Marriott. Expect to take a trip to grandma’s house!

We LOVED our stay at the Knickerbocker. The building is beautiful and well-​preserved, with lots of character. Our room was furnished with gorgeous antique furniture. It was very clean, had a comfortable bed, and was very cozy. Breakfast at the Knick was delicious! We will be returning soon.

Staff friendly and helpful. The room was spacious and suitably furnished. But the carpet was disgustingly dirty. And no parking was available.
I will not be returning!

Great staff, very friendly very helpful. Clear and beautifully presented rooms. Definitely stay there again.

Do not stay here. The rooms look nothing like the pictures online. Extremely dated hotel with terrible upkeep. And we came back to our room after dinner and there was a random person in our room. The front desk gave them keys and said it was their room.

Stayed there last month as part of our Milwaukee adventure — wonderful, charming place. The front desk was very friendly and exuberant. The cool art deco atmosphere of this hotel in the lobby and throughout the halls was very cool. Our room was nicely updated, still maintaining some «old charm», but the furniture was updated, room was very nicely decorated, and the full in-​room kitchen was awesome (had we known we might have brought food and just stayed in for the night). Very nice place, will absolutely consider it again if I’m ever in the area for business or pleasure. Only complaint — the old windows in the hotel need to be modernized, they rattled like crazy during the storms that blew through town during our stay. Everything else about this hotel was perfect! Highly recommend a night at the Knickerbocker!

The best patio and yummy breakfast. Walking distance to the lake. Great service and we never wait long for a table. Highly recommend.

This place is even more beautiful than the photos. We stayed 3 nights for our honeymoon, and it was the best thing about Milwaukee, to say the least. The staff was a huge contributor to this. Janelle was so warm and welcoming and darling. Larry was equally attentive and respectful. And Brenda was a delight and very informative. The room was so inviting and cozy and felt immediately like home to us. It was easy to settle in and difficult to leave. And the art deco! Stunning! This place had a lot of incredible energy to it, and we miss it already. The prices are astonishing for the utter class and beauty of this place. We love it and it holds very sweet memories for us always.

I found a new home away from home when I visit Milwaukee. The service was great. My original flight in was cancelled so I wasn’t arriving until the 2^nd day of my reservation, they changed it for me (same day!) without any fees or penalties.
My room was clean, the bed was very comfy with a nice variety of pillows. I loved that it had a mini kitchen and a really deep tub.
I didn’t get to experience the amenities because I only ended up being there one night so I look forward to my next trip of trying out the gym and salon.
I will be back!

Beautifully restored building! Great location in the heart of Milwaukee, helpful staff, parking available. Located right by the lake for an easy stroll to enjoy the lakefront! Amazing restaurant connected to the hotel for grabbing a bite after a long day or grabbing a nightcap!
I’ve stayed here a couple times and each time it proves to be a wonderful experience! Rooms are great size with all the amenities you can expect from a well known hotel! Next time I’m in Milwaukee, I’ll be staying at the Knick!

My bf and I had an absolutely wonderful experience at this hotel. First off, it is an older hotel. But «older» doesn’t have to equal «bad» or «poor quality.» Essentially the rooms are studio apartments. We had a fully-​stocked kitchenette, dining table and a HUGE closet. Everything was clean. Everything looked neat. The bed was comfortable (isn’t that the most important part?!). The room had character because it’s a older building, but it wasn’t shabby or rundown.
Also, I really appreciated the fact that parking was adjacent to the hotel.
Generally, I thought the staff was responsive (promptly delivered my request for extra pillows) and friendly (thoughtful front desk and housekeeping staff who provided directions and recommendations).
Bottom line, we will stay again. It’s a little more personal than your typical hotel, but not as overly intrusive as a bed-​and-​breakfast.

Had an absolutely wonderful stay here for a night in Milwaukee. Was in town to see a concert a few blocks from the hotel, and it was so great. The front desk was super helpful, the room was clean, the kitchenette nicely stocked with utensils and glassware and in general it was a friendly, thoughtful, warm stay. I definitely recommend it!

My experience at The Knickerbocker Hotel has to be up there with one of the worse hotel experiences ever.
This hotel is basically an old woman with makeup on. She tries very hard to look her best with makeup & jewels but at the end of the day, she’s still old & not looking her best. Sorry, it’s the truth.
When I arrived at glance I thought, cute old hotel. This should be cute. But I was wrong! With people actually living here, they do whatever they want. We had our next door neighbor smoking cigarettes with his door OPEN so the entire floor could enjoy the smoke and smell. The water also went off for an entire day and night with the staff not doing a thing about it or trying to accommodate me to at least make me feel better. Also the rooms get insanely hot because they take out the air conditioners and unless you have a breeze coming in, you’re in for some sleepless nights. Speaking of which, the construction outside constantly always serves as a nice wake up call.
The room we were initially in had disgusting stained carpets, stained and dusty drapes, and a bed that was lifting up on the foot of it from being laid in so much. I had to see a physical therapist after my back was messed up from just two nights on that bed.
We were housed here not of our own choice for 3 weeks so you can imagine the frustration. Don’t stay here ever. Find a hotel 30 miles away and drive if you have to. But do not stay here. Easily the worst hotel I have ever stayed at.
All we were missing were bed bugs. Which is why I’m giving it a 2 instead of a 1. RUN AWAY!

NOT impressed. I reserved a JR, suite on a group rate for a family wedding. When I checked in at 12:30, I was charged for the JR. Suite, but given a standard room. I thought the room looked small,. I asked the housekeeper if I had a suite and she said Yes. Only later, did the front desk tell me I didnt have a suite. They gave my room to someone else. Why? Dont know. I asked them to comp my parking charge and after a little while, they agreed. The room was basic, bathroom was old. Fixtures were old. I just thought it was overpriced for what you got. Would rather have stayed at the Hampton for the same price.

The staff is very helpful and welcoming, by far one of the greatest hotels to stay whether it’s for a weekend or longer. There are two restaurants that have great food on the first floor as well.

I stay here often. Every room I stayed in so far has been wonderful, and one time they even moved me from a great room to an even better one. They are spacious, clean, have fully equipped kitchens. In some rooms internet has been spotty, but it mostly works great.
Old world charm accompanied by supreme cleanliness, order, and a great restaurant downstairs. The spa facilities are also very good, and the in house taylor Ana is a true master.

Stayed in room #620 for the Milwaukee Wine Festival on Aug. 13. Boyfriend wasn’t sure about letting me pick the place to stay (I tend to prefer to «wing it» which he thinks is code for «sleep on a park bench» but boy was he ever pleasantly surprised with my choice of the Knickerbocker.
First this to know: the Knickerbocker is part hotel, part condos. So you have full-​time residents living in this building as well as a steady stream of internet-​savvy (It wasn’t listen in Kayak, Expedia and the like– I really had to dig around to find this place) people coming in and out. For some people this is their home, not just their home-​away-​from-​home so the «hotel» vibe wasn’t as present as in, say, a Doubletree or a Hilton, and it was a quiet and restful place to stay. It was nice to be in an off-​the-​beaten-​path place that didn’t look beaten up.
The clerk at the front desk was ridiculous (in a good way) He was good-​natured, kind of goofy, but very friendly, and he made it seem like we just MADE HIS DAY by walking into the hotel. I don’t know what he was on, but I want some of it.
The room was clean, decorated, and very homey. It was like house-​sitting for a friend (with really good taste in decorative pillows.) with a kickass flat screen TV and GIANT walk-​in closet. Seriously… the closet was as big as the bathroom. You could fit a full-​sized bed in there.
I was distracted by neat features like the molding (I took pictures, see below) and an old-​fashioned dry cleaning passthrough in the door. (which explains the coffin-​like doors for those reviewers who don’t know how to READ the giant instruction signs inside them), and a kitchenette (complete with a waffle iron, which left me with a ‘huh’ expression on my face).
The only con for me was the bed. It was kind of hard… or maybe just stiff? I’m not sure, but I think it was some version of a tempur-​pedic mattress. It did no favors for my back, but after being out of bed for a couple hours, I realized that my back felt better than it had in days. So I’m not sure if I’m a hypochondriac or my back is just falling to pieces. Maybe Unilocal can help me find a chiropractor before I return to Milwaukee!
Parking was awesomely easy. We arrived around 4 and found a (FREE) parking spot right in front of the building. There’s tons of free parking all around the hotel, so I’m not sure what previous reviews were referring to when they complained about parking.
Oh, and it was only $ 99 to stay on a Saturday night! Compared to even the most generic of hotels nearby (Comfort Suites, anyone?) It was the least expensive option by far.

This place was great! Really, I can’t think of a thing wrong with it. We didn’t even need to pay for parking — just parked on the street for free. Check-​in was smooth, they gave us an ethernet cable so the internet worked great. Hotel has a funny, semi-​haunted and «quaint» look to it, which I really liked.
Comfortable bed, furniture that looks «real,» not like it just came from some giant manufacturer of crappy hotel furniture. The bedding matched the desks matched the cabinets — who thinks of things like that in a hotel?
Kitchenette was great — we didn’t take full advantage, but since we’d bought some cheese and sausage we were awfully glad they had a fridge, plates, and knives! If I’m ever in Milwaukee again, I’ll stay here and bring some stuff to make real dinner with!
Lots of channels on the TV, couldn’t hear a soul all night, peaceful and enjoyable. I’d recommend it to anybody staying in town — it’s affordable too!