I have never been to Milwaukee or Wisconsin before now. Truthfully, my only association with it is the 1970s sitcoms “Happy Days” and “Laverne and Shirley,” both set in the city (though I doubt either was filmed here). I also know it was home to many large-scale breweries, like Miller. But like many formerly industrial-focused Midwestern cities, it’s become more a cultural center, embracing its past while emphasizing its present and future. As I explore the city this week, I’ll write more about it in next week’s post.

For now, I’m reviewing the hotel I’m staying at: Potawatomi Casino and Hotel. Built on land belonging to the Forest County Potawatomi Community, it started as a bingo parlor before evolving into the massive resort and casino complex it is today. The International Food and Wine Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) is holding its annual conference here, which I’m attending. If it were up to me, I probably would’ve stayed closer to downtown, but this property is a good fit, especially if you’re planning to see the Brewers play. Their ballpark, American Family (AmFam) Field, is less than two miles away, and Marquette University is also close by.

The casino is apparently one of the city's most popular attractions. AmFam Field, the Public Market and the zoo also top the list, but I’m not surprised the hotel’s massive gaming area is a major draw for visitors. I personally don’t gamble, but I understand why others do. That said, that’s all I will say about the casino, except for the food.

Accommodations

Potawatomi rooms range from standard rooms to suites. My room was a king standard, and it had plenty of space. The front desk staff asked what kind of room I wanted, and I simply said I wanted something on a high floor. I got a room on the seventeenth floor, nearly at the top, but my view was just of AmFam and the railyard. Had I known I could have gotten a room on the city-and-Lake Michigan-view side, I would have chosen that specifically. 

But my room was sufficient, with a firm but comfortable king bed and an easy-to-control temperature panel. The windows brought in plenty of natural light, and there were enough lamps for when it got darker.  I enjoyed having an individual coffeemaker and as much bottled water as needed. A tablet also let me order room service or view menus from the eateries. The only disappointing thing about the room was the bathroom size. Although there was a separate water closet, the basin and shower were quite small and cramped.

Amenities

Naturally, Potawatomi's most prominent feature is the casino. It’s a massive two-floor, 45,800-square-foot complex with the usual Vegas-style gaming, plus a sportsbook with multiple oversized screens showing all kinds of sporting events. Inside the casino are restaurants and a food court, the Marketplace, where you can place orders through kiosks and pick them up when your order number appears on a screen (I’ll mention food later).

Beyond the casino, the hotel has few other amenities. As I have seen firsthand this week, the meeting facilities are extensive, making it ideal for conventions and conferences. Many rooms have large picture windows that offer great views of the city. There is also a decent fitness center with cardio equipment, weight machines and free weights, although there is no swimming pool. One interesting feature, maybe for security or maybe to show how technologically advanced the hotel can be, is a card key panel on the elevator that took me to my room, no buttons necessary.

Food and drink

The restaurants in the Potawatomi complex are mostly in the casino. Only one is in the hotel itself (Canal Street Café), and it’s open only for breakfast and lunch. A store is next to the front desk, but it has a limited selection of food, drink and travel items and seems to be open only for short periods. I found it odd that there were no juice bottles, so I bought some Gatorade and a bag of Sun Chips.

A friend and I had dinner at the Dream Dance Steakhouse, where we shared some pork belly and French fries, and I also had French onion soup. The resort also has an Asian restaurant, RuYi; a brewpub, Rock & Brews; a coffee place, Cream City Coffee Co.; a food court, the Marketplace; and several bars. Like many in-house hotel restaurants, the food selection didn’t appeal to me enough to try anything beyond the first place, mostly because we didn’t want to go too far for a meal.