Marriott Milwaukee Downtown

The beds are comfortable, the front desk staff are nice, and the location works well for walking downtown and to third district. My one frustration was watching TV. You’re limited to the provided channels and paid Netflix. You can use your own Netflix account only if it’s an ad-free subscription. Even with a Roku box, the hotel internet blocks streaming services. A hotspot might work, though.

Great location, and I liked the service and the team. Maddison was lovely at check-in, and the bed was comfortable. The rooms feel dated, and the TV was positioned a bit oddly. Dinner in the Executive lounge was good, but breakfast honestly wasn’t as good.

Everything else was as expected, including the rooms, restaurant bar, and hotel staff. Valet was the problem. One attendant had a hoodie tied around his head, and the other kept his earphones in and wouldn’t take them out to talk to me. They both looked like high school teenagers in their outfits. My car was left unlocked in the parking lot, though luckily I can check and lock it from my phone. When I called to have it brought around, I waited more than 45 minutes.

This hotel makes it easy to walk everywhere, and for a triathlon trip like ours, it’s hard to imagine a better base. The rooms are comfortable and the service is great. One small complaint: the restaurant was packed with triathlete families, but had only one person serving, hosting, and running food. Even the chef had to bring dishes out. The hotel was fully booked, so I don’t understand why the restaurant was so short staffed. They did offer a mini breakfast for athletes, and there are lots of nearby restaurants for families and people after the race.