Wisconsin Destination Guide

Milwaukee 
A new Marriott hotel is being built downtown on the corner of North Milwaukee Street and East Wisconsin Avenue. Set for completion in July 2013, the property will feature 205 guest rooms and suites, approximately 9,000 square feet of meeting space, and an upscale restaurant with street-level access and a bar.

The 149-room Four Points by Sheraton Milwaukee North completed an extensive renovation last year that updated all 7,500 square feet of meeting and event space as well as prefunction space. The hotel also refreshed its lobby and the 8900 Bar & Bistro restaurant.

The 119-room Courtyard by Marriott Milwaukee Airport opened in December 2011. The hotel features an ultramodern lobby and two meeting rooms, each able to accommodate up to 50 attendees.

The 169-room Courtyard Milwaukee Downtown recently renovated its lobby and dining spaces. The front desk was replaced with several "welcome pedestals," and guests now can connect to free wireless Internet throughout the lobby. A total of 2,649 square feet of meeting space is available, divided into four rooms.

Last year, the 730-room Hilton Milwaukee City Center was awarded AAA Four Diamond status. The hotel has more than 34,000 square feet of total meeting space, including four ballrooms and 18 meeting rooms.

A 20-story hotel from developer Jackson Street Management is under construction and set to open in Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley industrial corridor in the summer of 2014. While some details still are being finalized, the property will offer 381 guest rooms, a full-service spa, a casual restaurant, and meeting and event space.

In November 2012, Southwest Airlines added new nonstop service from Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport to Boston's Logan International Airport, Fort Lauderdale' Hollywood International Airport, Minneapolis' Saint Paul International Airport and San Francisco International Airport. This came after the carrier added nonstop flights in August to Los Angeles International Airport, New York LaGuardia Airport and Seattle's Sea-Tac International Airport. Southwest will begin nonstop service between Milwaukee and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport next month.

General Mitchell International Airport also wrapped up close to four years of extensive runway improvement projects last fall; at the same time, the adjacent freeway construction that had resulted in detours for passengers leaving the airport for much of 2012 has now been completed.

Meeting Hotels
Properties with meeting space in town include the 730-room Hilton Milwaukee City Center, 508-room Wyndham Milwaukee, 481-room Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, 307-room The Pfister Hotel, 253-room Doubletree Hotel Milwaukee City Center, 169-room Courtyard Milwaukee Downtown, 160-room Aloft Milwaukee Downtown, 160-room Ramada Plaza Milwaukee Airport, 149-room Four Points by Sheraton Milwaukee North and 119-room Courtyard by Marriott Milwaukee Airport.

For a more comprehensive list of hotels and meeting facilities in Milwaukee, go to mcvenues.com.

Convention Center
Delta Center; exhibit space, approximately 188,695 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 28; (414) 908-6072

Airport Transit
General Mitchell International Airport, about eight miles from downtown Milwaukee. Transfer cost to the city center by taxi, about $28

Taxes
Room tax, 9.5 percent; sales tax, 5 percent; total tax on hotel rooms, 14.5 percent

Group Venue
The Harley-Davidson Museum houses more than 450 motorcycles as well as thousands of related artifacts. There's also plenty of room to meet -- the facility can accommodate up to 750 attendees for a seated event and 1,000 for a reception. Catering services are available. (414) 287-2778

Contact
Visit Milwaukee, (414) 273-3950 or (800)554-1448

Mellow Yellow

The National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wis., is home to the world's largest collection of mustard memorabilia, including samples of the stuff from all 50 U.S. states and more than 60 countries.

Madison
Last November, the 107-room downtown Edgewater Hotel broke ground on a nine-story addition that will add 189 new guest rooms and several banquet rooms by summer 2014. The property currently has 5,760 square feet of meeting and event space.

As part of a recent $2 million renovation at the Hilton Madison Monona Terrace, all 240 guest rooms were outfitted with media hubs to connect laptops and mobile devices to the in-room televisions. The hotel is connected to the 250,000-square-foot Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center.

The 151-room Hyatt Place Madison opened in April 2010 within walking distance of the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. The property has 2,500 square feet of meeting space.

In late 2011, the Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin' Madison completed a $43 million expansion to accommodate a collection that, since 1970, has grown from 1,500 to more than 20,000 artworks.

Meeting Hotels
 Properties include the 356-room Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor's Club, 240-room Hilton Madison Monona Terrace, 239-room Sheraton Madison, 189-room Edgewater Hotel and 151-room Hyatt Place Madison. For a more complete list of Madison hotels, go to mcvenues.com.

Convention Centers
Alliant Energy Center; exhibit space, 100,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 14. (608) 267-3976, ext. 2

Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center; exhibit space, approximately 37,200 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 21. (608) 261-4000

Airport Transit
Dane County Regional Airport, six miles from downtown Madison. Transfer cost by taxi, $12-$18

Taxes
Room tax, 9 percent; sales tax, 5 percent; total tax on hotel rooms, 14.5 percent

Group Venues
The Overture Center for the Arts, a performance space that is home to seven resident arts companies, is available for meetings and events. Groups of 50 to 1,500 can be accommodated in one of 15 different spaces ranging from the facility's stages to its rehearsal studios. (608) 258-4163

For artful events, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art can accommodate up to 230 people in one of five venues, including the rooftop sculpture garden and its large lecture hall. Private gatherings can take place in the museum during the day or after hours. Parties must conclude by 11 p.m. (608) 257-0158

Contact
Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau, (608) 255-2537 or (800) 373-6376