Iron Horse Hotel - Blog #5

When I first entered the building, there is a very open area full of couches and 300 year-old timber beams that keep the building in place. The lighting is inviting and has an interesting place throughout the hotel. The bulbs are Edison bulbs that are pretty expensive considering we buy regular light bulbs for a couple dollars each. The building is one of the last wood frame buildings in the Milwaukee area. Once in the general lobby area, you can see a huge American flag that was made out of jeans and painted to help create a unique piece for decoration. Just above that and to the right there is a huge hole in the wall where the original elevator shaft use to sit. To the right, there are windows that help reflect the light from the entrance. These black tinted windows are the originals, crazy cool. Much of the furniture and other items are from local businesses.

I found it amazing when visiting one of their rooms that the bathroom had all Kohler products and a really nice shower head. Something you definitely do not see in most hotels. The wall painting inside the room is a great way to show local art work as well as have a more home feel towards the room.

To the left of the entrance stands a couple restaurant areas and a bar. There is also an outdoor seating area that has a lot of couches and tent-roofing. To the right, though, is a bar that invites you with the lighting and beautiful drafting chairs that are showcased for seating. This is the photo I have above. Outside lighting that brings someone into a bar is such a great way to invite people to an area that is usually dim and boring. The fact that they were able to create such a well built area made me think the rest of the hotel would be just as nice, if not nicer. Those expectations were met. The gears from the original elevators are used as table stands past the bar for people who may want a seat with their family or friends. The mirror in the bar was one that was broken originally until it was picked up by the Iron Horse and fixed up. It was originally from the Coakley Brothers company next door.