The Pfister Hotel

The Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee has long been known as the “Grand Hotel of the West". In 1893 it was built and stood as one of the most gorgeous buildings in Milwaukee. This hotel was owned and founded by Guido Pfister and his son, Charles Pfister. Henry C. Koch was the architect that gave the design to feature a Romanesque Revival design. The hotel became part of Historic Hotels of America in 1994, after The Marcus Corporation renovated it back its original design.

The Pfister Hotel has stood for over 125 years as an icon of prestige, history, and excellence in Milwaukee. Guido and Charles Pfister envisioned the creation of a gorgeous multistory structure that dominated the Milwaukee skyline. Being built in 1893 and still standing today, this hotel has been through wars and economic natural distress, has adapted to changing tastes and somehow is still current and timeless. 

Guido sadly passed away in 1889, four years prior to the hotel opening, Charles then took over and purchased controlling shares in the hotel, allowing him to complete his father’s vision of a grand hotel. It opened in 1893 and Charles lived there for many years while running the hotel. However, in 1927, Charles suffered from a stroke at age 68 forcing him to sell, the hotel then started to show its age, fell into bankruptcy and there were plans for it to be demolished.

With the hotel costing over $1 million in 1893, this building had many groundbreaking features. It included many then-modern amenities such as fireproofing, electricity, and thermostat controls in every guest-room. Along with those amenities, the hotel also contained a formal dining room, a gentleman's lounge, and two billiard rooms. It also has the largest Victorian art collection of any hotel in the world, which was collected by Guido and Charles Pfister themselves.

Knowing about the history of the hotel, Ben Marcus, founder of the Marcus Corporation, decided to purchase the hotel during an auction 35 years after Charles Pfister passed away with the intent to renovate the historic hotel back to its original beauty. He had his son, Steve Marcus, manage the renovations and restorations of the hotel into its former honor. The renovations had also included a 23-story guest room tower that opened to the public in 1966. Since the addition of the guest room tower, they decided in 2013 to redesign with today’s modern traveler in mind, while also keeping the art and history that makes this hotel so unique. Along with that, the Marcus Corporation also added two new club floors that include access to the hotel’s new club lounge on the 23rd floor of the hotel. 

Many events have taken place in this hotel since being built, one of the first of many that the hotel hosted was a massive convention for the Wisconsin Republican Party in 1984, filling the hotel to capacity. After this event, The Pfister Hotel became a venue for official functions, political events, celebrities and many more. Eventually, as the hotel started to get more well-known, some powerful people in the nation visited at one point or another, starting with President William McKinley in 1897. The Pfister has since then housed all kinds of people from everyday Milwaukeeans to prime ministers to celebrities, presidents, and more.

There have been many reports of paranormal activity throughout people's stay at this hotel, like voices in the hallways to undeniable shadowy figures, there have been many creepy accounts reported. Staff and guests of the historic hotel claim that the second floor is completely haunted. They've claimed to have seen Charles Pfister himself haunting the grand staircase up to the second floor. People, to this day, believe that Charles and Guido Pfister are always there to look over their hotel and to make sure that the hotel is how they intended it to be; which was to create a “people's place” where all people could gather together under one roof.

The Pfister Hotel has had its ups and downs since first being built in 1893. Thankfully for Marcus', the Pfister's vision of having a warm and friendly place that is much more than just a hotel, but an experience has still been true to this day. There are many ways that Guido and Charles are remembered throughout the hotel and people believe that they are still watching over it to this day.

“Historic Hotels Midwest: Milwaukee, WI: The Pfister Hotel.” Historic Hotels Midwest | Milwaukee, WI | The Pfister Hotel. Accessed September 30, 2021. https://www.thepfisterhotel.com/boutique-hotel/pfister-history. 

“Milwaukee Hotels: The Pfister Hotel.” Historic Hotels Worldwide. Accessed September 30, 2021. https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/the-pfister-hotel/history.php. 

“The Pfister Hotel - Premier Milwaukee Hotel: Marcus Hotels & Resorts.” Marcus Hotels and Resorts. Accessed September 30, 2021. https://www.marcushotels.com/portfolio/stay/the-pfister-hotel. 

"The Pfister Renovations Completed", OnMilwaukee. June 26th 2014. Accessed December 2nd 2021. https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/pfisterenovations.