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With its location near General Mitchell it may be hard to believe that there is a hotel that goes beyond any preconceived notions you may have of the typical “airport hotel”. Upon walking the Hilton Garden Inn I immediately forgot about any planes that may have been flying closely overhead. Built in 2010, this hotel is a hub of many business travelers during the week but on the weekend it has the potential to hold wedding receptions and events that rival some of its downtown counterparts.
I met with Mila Godic, Sales Manager at the Hilton who gave me a tour of the freshly constructed building. Immediately upon stepping into the lobby I noticed just how new and clean the building looked and even smelled. You know the new car scent that people love so much that air fresheners have been made to try to replicate it? Well this hotel has that clean scent and it’s not an air freshener. While waiting for Mila I browsed through the building’s library which offers visitors a space to relax on couches and tables in front of a warm fireplace. During the week you’ll see business travelers grabbing a quick breakfast but on the weekend it’s a welcoming and quiet place to relax while reading a newspaper and sipping on a cup of coffee. The hotel offers the standard facility features such as business meeting spaces, workout facility and indoor pool but what I really was interested in was the available event spaces.
When I toured the space it was not set up for a wedding which for a wedding consultant is perfect because it allows me to envision what I could do with the room as opposed to what someone else has already done with it. The first thing I noticed was again the fresh, clean feel to the open ballroom. The carpet, paint and floor length curtains gave the room an almost elegant feel while still being neural enough to let my mind race with many different design scenarios that would bring the room to life. Outside the ballroom is an area perfect for cocktail hour and can even be setup to have a chic, lounge vibe by using furniture pulled from other areas of the hotel. Even more fantastic is the outdoor patio and fire pit located immediately outside of the cocktail area where guests can relax well into the evening by the fire with a cocktail and perhaps a piece of cake.
While I didn’t get an opportunity to sample the food I did have a peak at the menu. Multiple buffet and plated options are available to choose from including mahi-mahi with pineapple-mango sauce, eggplant parmesan and Manhattan grilled steak with peppercorn butter. The chefs at the Hilton Garden Inn take food seriously offering additional buffet enhancements such as carving stations and a mashed potato martini bar.
While it’s easy to focus on location alone it’s so often worth taking the time to look at different venues before ruling them out for wedding receptions and the Hilton Garden Inn on South Howell Avenue is no exception. If you would like to learn more about the event space, you can contact Mila Godic at mila.godic@hilton.com or visit the website at milwaukeeairport.hgi.com.
