02.01.22

Milwaukee Magazine: Meet the Curator at Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel

Samantha Timm brings art to its full potential in the galleries she curates for.

Before curating Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel’s lavish, modern galleries, Samantha Timm had a different expertise – 19th-century British art. She spent nearly a decade working in museums and galleries around the world, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and the York Art Gallery in England.

Working in a hotel has its differences from her past jobs. At Saint Kate, Timm considers the entire visitor experience, from the room – including stays in the artist-designed Canvas rooms – to dining and imbibing at the hotel’s restaurants and bars. She has five feature exhibitions under her purview and oversees the hotel’s permanent collection and coordination with the Museum of Wisconsin Art to bring its lobby-level gallery, MoWA | DTN, to life. While ensuring that all the artwork fits Saint Kate’s brand, she looks especially for work that plays with unusual mediums. “My art is facilitating what we do here,” Timm says. “I invite our artists to use our space as a platform.”

Sometimes that means getting collaborative with the artists. Right now, in the lobby, there’s a display showcasing “A Cabinet of Curiosities” by a pair of local artists called The Wondermakers (up through April 3). It features dozens of intricate textiles. Timm spent hours hanging pieces from the ceiling with fishing line to give it the look of a whimsical constellation.

“I have this constant sense of wonder about all the pieces that we have, and about all the shows that are on display,” Timm says. “I try to share that with my guests.”

You can join Timm on one of her Champagne Art Tours, usually offered on Fridays and Saturdays. With a glass of bubbly in hand, she whisks you around the hotel’s exhibits and helps you understand and engage with the art.

Read more about Saint Kate’s curator here.

10.12.21

Derek Morrison, Hilton Madison Monona Terrace – Professional of the Week

Derek Morrison, general manager of Hilton Madison Monona Terrace, was profiled in InBusiness Magazine and was named by the magazine as Professional of the Week. Read this profile of Derek to learn more about his passion for creating memorable experiences for guests, his secret talents and love for Dane County.

10.08.21

It’s no secret– Milwaukee’s SafeHouse is celebrating 55 years this weekend with spy fun, food & drinks

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58)– Fifty five years of spy intrigue culminates with a big birthday bash this weekend at Milwaukee’s SafeHouse.

The celebration continues both Friday and Saturday with drink and food specials, spy merch, free giveaways, and a special mission for agents.

Of course the timing is perfect with the release of the new James Bond movie “No Time to Die.” And while this anniversary is a neat look back, it’s also a way to get future generations interested in the mysterious undercover world.

To watch video of CBS 58’s Michael Schlesinger’s visit to the SafeHouse, click here.

10.05.21

5 Wisconsin hotels voted among best in the U.S. by readers of Conde Nast Traveler in 2021

Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel and The Pfister Hotel haves won 2021 Readers’ Choice awards from Condé Nast Traveler magazine. Milwaukee’s Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel was listed among the top 20 hotels in the Midwest for the second year in a row, ranking No. 5. The Pfister Hotel also made that list at No. 7.

Read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article to learn more about these prestigious awards.

08.18.21

This Beloved Milwaukee Steakhouse Is Ready to Reopen

The Milwaukee ChopHouse is reopening this weekend.

The Downtown steak and seafood restaurant, which has been closed since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, will officially reopen for business on Friday.

Located in the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, 633 N. Fifth St., the Milwaukee ChopHouse will return to its roots to offer its classic steakhouse menu with a contemporary twist. Guests can once again enjoy their favorite dishes, like Wagyu carpaccio, lobster mac ‘n cheese and Strauss lamb chops as well as its selection of wet- and dry-aged steaks, various seafood options and a vegan and vegetarian selection.

To read more of Milwaukee Magazine’s article about the Milwaukee ChopHouse’s reopening, click here.

08.05.21

WTMJ-TV The Morning Blend: Entertaining in Style at Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel

A Spotlight on the ARIA Restaurant

If you’re looking for the perfect downtown hot spot to connect, relax, and celebrate, then you’re in luck. The ARIA restaurant at Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel has recently reopened with a brand-new concept: artisanal American cuisine. You will not want to pass up a locally-inspired seasonal menu that incorporates the best local ingredients! Today, Entertainment Guru, David Caruso, and Executive Chef, Paul Funk, give us a sneak peek at ARIA’s swanky ambience and delicious cuisine.

07.22.21

MKE Lifestyle: Dish of the Month: Long Bone Short Rib Pastrami from ARIA

Comfort food is having a major moment. But for Paul Funk, executive chef at Saint Kate — The Arts Hotel, simple food beautifully prepared has always had its own cachet. It’s a philosophy carefully honed since Funk was a kid in Racine, cooking beside his grandma.

And while Funk’s work experience has taken him across the nation and across the pond, Wisconsin’s agriculture and food traditions have always held fascination. So when the time came to reimagine the menu at ARIA, Saint Kate’s fine dining restaurant, ahead of its post-pandemic reopen, Funk naturally stuck close to home. Drawing inspiration from the state’s melting pot cuisines, tried and true favorites from his youth, and treks up north, Funk created a menu he describes as “what Wisconsin, what Milwaukee, what upper Midwestern food is, without it just being cheese curds, bratwurst and schnitzel.

“I started imagining a picture in my head of the lake, the loons, the hunters, all of those things,” he says of a cool-weather northern excursion that inspired ARIA’s duck breast entree. “It’s these Wisconsin things, whether it’s a product like cherries or duck, or a menu item that’s a common tradition here. So I make a Wisconsin maple spaetzle to go with the duck, and then the cherries … [and take] that supper club thing that usually disappoints me, take our technique and my background, and make it into something that I’m really excited about.”

A particular point of pride is the Long Bone Short Rib Pastrami, a jaw-dropping, weekends-only indulgence that blends Wisconsin’s historic devotion to cured meats and Funk’s love of artful simplicity.

To read more about the Long Bone Short Rib Pastrami, click here.

07.09.21

OnMilwaukee: Get a delicious brick oven breakfast (or brunch) at the Bar at Saint Kate

07.09.21

Milwaukee Business Journal: NBA Finals a ‘shot in the arm’ for Milwaukee’s hospitality industry

2020 was supposed to be Milwaukee’s year with the Democratic National Convention coming to the city in July. Not only was that postponed and scaled back to such little citywide impact, but the Covid-19 pandemic plagued the hospitality industry from hotels and tourist attractions to bars and restaurants.

Now in 2021, as the nation sees progress in Covid-19 recovery, Milwaukee also is reaping the benefits that professional sports has had on the hospitality industry with the Milwaukee Bucks success heading to the NBA Finals.

Brandon Drusch, general manager at The Saint Kate-the Arts Hotel, and Tim Smith, general manager of The Pfister Hotel, share their thoughts on the Bucks’ journey to the NBA Finals with the Milwaukee Business Journal. Read the full story here.

06.25.21

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: ARIA restaurant downtown took its hiatus as a chance to revamp the menu

After over a year being closed due to the pandemic, Saint Kate’s signature dining experience is officially reopened. Originally opened as Aria Café & Bar, ARIA has now transformed into an elevated dining experience where guests can indulge in Midwestern classics with a twist thanks to a reimagined menu curated by Chef Paul Funk.  

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explored ARIA’s new delicious menu with Chef Funk. To read for full story, click here.