Milwaukee’s Potawatomi Debuts 381-Room Hotel
August 14, 2014Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, for more than two decades a staple of Milwaukee entertainment, will open its new 381-room, 19-story hotel on August 18.
The hotel, located in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley, features 381 guest rooms; a new restaurant, Locavore; a lobby bar and lounge; a coffee bar featuring local brewer Stone Creek Coffee; more than 12,000 sf in new meeting space, and updated furniture and fixtures throughout.
An expansive porte cochere, which covers a heated walkway underneath, leads to the hotel’s lobby where pillars throughout the space replicate large trees and large leaf canopies. Far above the lobby a complex lighting system, featuring about 3,200 LED nodes, can create different patterns, movement and shows from the ceiling. The Color Kinetic System can produce about 16.1 million different colors and provide custom light for any occasion. It can simulate sun breaking through trees, thunderstorms, raging fires and more. Lighting in the hotel’s elevator bays on the first and third floors can also be programmed to set a variety of moods.
“These lighting systems help bring the energy and excitement felt on the gaming floor into the adjacent hotel,” said Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Hotel Director Hassan Abdel-Moneim. “Intriguing and unique lighting design is a theme guests will experience in various locations of the hotel.”
All standard guest rooms are equipped with an energy-saving intelligent thermostat, a flat-screen television, refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker. Suites are outfitted with plush living and dining areas, a large master bedroom and bathroom, and access to a connected standard bedroom. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel property.
The smoke-free hotel has incorporated a number of environmentally friendly features such as the incorporation of energy-efficient mechanical, electrical and plumbing design strategies, an innovative storm water management system, the use of native plant species in the landscape design and other measures to aid the environment and control long-term costs. The hotel has applied for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) status.
“Potawatomi Hotel & Casino continues its track record of playing a vital role in the region’s tourism picture,” said Paul Upchurch, Visit Milwaukee president and CEO. “For nearly a quarter century, the tribe has shown incredible dedication to the region with hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, and, in doing so, helping to create a new entertainment and visitor corridor in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley.”
The hotel features two walkways, one of the first floor and one on the third floor, that provide direct access to all of the entertainment and dining options in the casino. This includes nearly 3,000 slot machines, 100 table games, a 1,350-seat bingo hall, six additional restaurants and multiple entertainment options, including the one-of-a-kind, 500-seat Northern Lights Theater.