The Marquette Hotel

The neighborhood is quiet and well located, with downtown, the capital, and U Wisc campus all walkable. There are good places for food and coffee nearby, and the coded locks made coming and going easy. We liked the artwork on the walls a lot. Still, we had room 101 for two nights, and I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s a huge space that may have been converted from an old church or something, and while this is a two star hotel rather than a luxury place, the room could have been better for the price. The heater fan ran constantly and got louder when the heat came on. There was nowhere to put clothes, and we only had two hangers. The sheets and pillowcases seemed to be microfiber, felt uncomfortable, and built up static, though the mattresses were fine. The bathroom felt like an afterthought, with a tiny shower that sent out strong, painful streams of water. There’s a basic kitchen with a sink, microwave, coffee maker and coffee, and small fridge, but not much else. I wouldn’t want to stay in that room again.

We wanted a simple place to rest, and that’s exactly what we got. There were no frills, which suited us fine. The room was large, the heat worked perfectly on a cold night, and the bed was so comfortable that we slept longer and better than we have in years. A lovely bargain in today’s market, just two minutes from the fabulous Willy Street Coop.

I’ve stayed on Airbnb more than 20 times over the past three years, and this was my worst experience. It’s the first time I’ve ever asked to cancel and get a refund. The table in the room was badly damaged, and its stains and discoloration looked like blood to me. Three odd pillars stood in the middle of the room alongside two broken metal bars, with exposed wires and ventilation pipes across the ceiling. None of that appeared in the listing photos. It didn’t feel like a room, more like an abandoned warehouse. There was also a picture with eyes staring straight at the bed, which I found disturbing and made the space feel threatening. I felt cheated and extremely upset. The host was dishonest, in my view, and made excuses to avoid the refund he had originally promised. I got only about 1/7 of what I paid despite what I considered terrible and unsafe conditions. I strongly recommend staying away. Both the space and the host were completely unreliable.

We’ve always liked coming here. It’s a nice place overall, with no frills. The location is great, next to the Coop, good restaurants, and St Vincent DePaul’s, with a dearth of franchises. We walk up and bring a chair so we can both sit. We prefer the even-numbered rooms facing Baldwin, and wish the table still had a lamp. It’d also be nice if the TV got local stations.