A new lounge for guests only has opened at The Pfister Hotel, the company said Monday in a news release.

The Pfister Club Lounge on the 23rd floor offers views of the city skyline and Lake Michigan at 424 E. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee. It will be open continuously from Sunday evening to Friday evening, serving breakfast in the morning, snacks and beverages throughout the day and appetizers in the evening. Pfister, owned by The Marcus Corp., is not revealing the cost of the project.

Admission is free to guests of the upper floors of the hotel tower. Other guests can upgrade their reservations to include club admission for an additional fee.

The space previously was a board room, Twenty 3. That room has moved about 50 feet down the hall, said April Dart, a spokeswoman for The Pfister.

The hotel also is planning to renovate the tower’s 176 guest rooms starting in fall with new wall coverings, carpet, window treatments, furniture, fixtures and bathrooms, Dart said.

The changes could be a response to additional competition downtown. The Milwaukee Marriott Downtown is scheduled to open across the street in mid-July, and several other hotels are planned or have recently opened in the area.

A new exclusive lounge opens on the historic hotel’s 23rd floor.

A stay at the Pfister just got swankier. The hotel now includes an exclusive lounge area for guests staying on floors 20 and 21 of the tower – rooms that are slightly more expensive than others in the tower. Guests staying in other rooms can get access by purchasing an upgrade for $30 a night.

The lounge itself is located on the 23rd floor of the historic hotel, with plenty of views to spare. Aiming for a “home library”feel, the lounge has a fireplace, bookshelves, seating, wireless internet access, printers and televisions. The lounge will also serve breakfast in the morning, snacks and beverages throughout the day, and hors d’oeuvres in the evening. Because who doesn’t have their home library catered?

Check out the new digs.

Trained as a lawyer, Kirk Rose didn’t come up through the typical hospitality career ladder.

But his background has prepared him well for his role as president of Marcus Hotels & Resorts, he said. His priority is growing the company and that’s something he’s perfectly suited for.

“I was less interested in becoming just the president of a 20-hotel chain as an operations guy,” he said. “I was more interested in becoming the president of a 20-hotel chain that was going to be much larger by the time I finished my career here.”

Rose’s hiring in January as president of The Marcus Corp.’s hotels and resorts division is another sign of its intention to grow. The Milwaukee-based company formed MCS Capital in 2011 as a vehicle for considering hotel investment, development and acquisition opportunities. In September, Marcus announced its acquisition of The Cornhusker Hotel and Office Plaza in Lincoln, Neb., which it is currently remodeling. It also bought a minority stake in fall in an Atlanta hotel that it will manage. The company is now majority owner of nine properties and manages another 11 properties.

Rose didn’t set out to run a hotel company. He was a practicing lawyer for 15 years before he was hired by what is now Hyatt Hotels Corp. He eventually became chief financial officer of Hyatt’s global operations. From there, he co-founded Salt Creek Hospitality LLC, a private equity firm focused on the hospitality sector.

He was looking for another opportunity when he learned about the Marcus opening. He was attracted to Marcus’ growth objectives and the stability of the Marcus family ownership. Marcus Corp. is publicly held, but the Marcus family has a controlling interest.

“One of the nice things about the Marcus family is they are opportunistic with a great balance sheet,” he said. “They’re not interested in growing for growth’s sake.”

Rose learned to value hands-on family ownership as a child, when his father owned several Hallmark stores and apartment buildings. He credits his parents for giving him a strong work ethic and competitive spirit.

“When it’s yours, everything from customer service to how you spend your money wisely to grow is so much more important,” he said. “The Marcus family doesn’t just own their investments from up top and watch dispassionately. They’re involved in the decision-making.”

Marcus Hotels could see plenty of opportunities to grow in the next few years, whether that’s by adding management contracts, acquiring management companies or buying or investing in hotels, said David Loeb, an analyst with Milwaukee-based Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. Smaller, family-owned hotels and management companies might be inclined to sell as the owners retire and the business gets more complicated. Internet sales and customer feedback from social media and sites such as TripAdvisor are making hotel operation harder, he said.

“You have to know how to manage that process and keep your guests happy,” Loeb said.

Marcus has developed a niche in running historic hotels, particularly those that need renovations, Rose said. It bought its first hotel, The Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee, in 1962 to prevent demolition of the historic Victorian building. But it also operates branded hotels, resorts and hotels attached to convention centers, such as the Hilton Milwaukee City Center.

The company has shown a talent for innovation, particularly in its restaurants and in the low-cost hotel chain it developed in the 1970s (and later sold), Baymont Inns & Suites, Rose said.

The innovations these days are coming in the area of lifestyle or boutique properties that offer unique touches for guests, he said. The hotels are often limited-service, upscale properties with themes or services that differentiate them from more generic hotels.

Tim Smith, general manager of the Marcus-owned InterContinental Milwaukee downtown, said Rose already has energized the development side of the business.

“He’s a guy who really looks at things from a macro level,” Smith said.

Smith is happy to let Rose handle the growth and finance angle, while he handles operations at the InterContinental.

“(It’s) kind of nice as a hotel manager, that you’re able to run your own hotel,” he said.

Personal File

Judgment Calls

Away from the Office

Original Article by: Lori Fredrich for OnMilwaukee.com

Chef Robert Druschitz, a newcomer to the Milwaukee scene, has taken over as executive chef at the Intercontinental Hotel. Druschitz replaces Bill Doyle, who was recently promoted to executive chef at Hilton Milwaukee City Center, InterContinental Milwaukee’s sister property and the city’s largest hotel.

French-trained and with nearly 15 years of culinary experience, Druschitz has worked at some of the top restaurants in the Midwest, including Le Francais, Le Titi de Paris, Gabriel’s Restaurant and Restaurant Michael. Most recently, he was sous chef at Quartino Ristorante and Wine Bar in Chicago.

In his American contemporary approach to cooking, Druschitz enjoys taking classic American dishes and updating them using new techniques and ingredients – discovering dishes that were once popular and reinventing them to align with the trends of today. As a proponent of “spontaneous cooking” Druschitz plans to work closely with guests, developing unique menus that cater to their specific tastes.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Druschitz this past week and talk to him about his background, his first impressions of Milwaukee, his style and the types of things he eats when he’s at home.

OnMilwaukee: How has your background prepared you for where you are today?

Robert Druschitz: I’ve actually worked quite a bit with the theater crowd, so I’m used to the theater rush. I worked at Rhapsody, the fine-dining room in the Loop’s Symphony Center. You go into theater mode. You do everything you can to knock out all of your covers.

I’ve also had experience with a wide range of cuisines… to have done French, Italian and American, I feel as if I’m pretty well-rounded.

OMC: Describe your relationship to food as you were growing up.

RD: I’m from a middle-class family. I have two younger sisters. Because my parents worked, there was often a need for me to set things up in order for us to have dinner on time.

In high school I worked for an in-class restaurant. We were actually open to the public. We waited tables, did the dishes. I went on to tossing pizzas at an Italian place.

OMC: Who were your major influences?

RD: Jean Banchet at Le Francais. I didn’t work for him, but I worked with people who worked with him. He was the big name, and everyone respected him.

One of my idols is Jean Georges Vongerichten. He’d have a dish with carrot … prepared in a variety of ways. And then he’d add an element like cardamom. Very clean, contemporary, understandable food.

OMC: What are you most excited about as you start your new position?

RD: We have a nice young staff. They’re really good, clean kids and I want to cultivate that and turn out chefs, rather than cooks.

I’ve been the right hand for a lot of intense, driven chefs, and times are changing to where we need to treat people with more respect and help them to grow. Let’s take time to train them and help people grow. If we don’t do that, we’re not contributing to the industry. And if I’m not turning out talent like that from my kitchen, it’s a shame.

OMC: What’s your impressions of Milwaukee’s food scene?

RD: You know, it’s growing, and it’s getting more contemporary. You have a growing talent here. Oh – and the cheeses here. There’s a ton of variety here in the market and that’s something to be proud of.

l like a lot of the Italian influences that are going through the city right now. I respect the Bartolottas. I can definitely see their mark on the city. I haven’t eaten at Sanford yet, but I’m really looking forward to it.

I had a really great meal at Wolf Peach. It was one of the first places we went in Milwaukee. They’re doing some really great stuff there.

OMC: What did you eat?

RD: (laughs) I think the question is, “What didn’t we eat?”

OMC: How would you describe your style of cooking?

RD: Contemporary with a heavy respect for classics. I look back at dishes … why were they popular when they were popular. And I take them and rework them. There’s a lot we’ve lost in America since the TV dinner. Looking back gives us cues for the sort of foods we could be eating.

You have things like venison ham. Doesn’t it make you curious? How do you pay respect to the past and still at the end of the day, give people something they’re really excited to eat?

OMC: What do you hope to accomplish most here in your new position?

RD: I hope to simplify things, but still provide dishes that intrigue customers’ palates. I’d like people to be visually excited, and give them something that sticks in their head.

You don’t want to challenge your customer, necessarily. But, I like a little bit of show – not quite like Alinea – but something that keeps the brain thinking.

I’m a Midwest person. So, I tend toward creating food that satisfies … portion size where people don’t walk away hungry. People should be satiated. As a chef, if people walk away hungry, you’re not doing your job.

OMC: What about ingredients? How do you feel about farm to table?

RD: Back in the late ’90s we just did it. There was no term for farm to table. We were always running with the seasons. Now there’s a name for it. But, the reality is, great chefs were always sourcing from local farmers.

OMC: What is your favorite food/ingredient to cook with?

RD: Foie gras. Most recently I did a small party with seared foie gras over a chestnut velouté with candied kumquat.

OMC: What’s in your fridge at home?

RD: A lot of goose and duck fat. Braised pigs’ feet. Bolzano salami. Probably about 10 different types of cheese. Black kale … since I’ve been trying to eat healthier. A side of Polish bacon. Half dozen Meyer lemons. I’m a big citrus nut. I love citrus notes and zest.

I cook a lot at home. I’m the guy who goes into the pantry and makes a meal. I have a larder. I cook something different all the time. It’s creative, spontaneous. What’s in season? What’s there?

OMC: So you’re an off the cuff sort?

RD: Very much so.

OMC: What is the best compliment someone could give to you?

RD: We had a good evening. We enjoyed coming to the restaurant. We’ll be back. Let me put it this way, doctors deserve egos, they save peoples’ lives. There’s something to be said about being humble in the way you cook. Not too over the top. I’m very down to Earth. I don’t relate to things that are too esoteric.

Luxury hotels are working with artists to document significant moments and special guests. We look at the most creative artist-in-residence programmes taking place in hotels around the world today.

Claridge’s, London
Fashion illustrator and artist David Downton has the honour of being the first ever artist in residence at Claridge’s. As part of his role, Downton will document through his drawing some of the famed guests who call Claridge’s their London base. Notable personalities so far captured by the artist during their Claridge’s stay include Diane von Furstenberg, Dita Von Teese, Christian Louboutin and Sarah Jessica Parker.

The Savoy, London
Claude Monet was the first artist-in-residence at The Savoy in 1901 , painting Thames views from his top-floor room. Since last year, the British artists Stuart McAlpine Miller and David Downes have been invited to follow in his footsteps – the latter using the lobby as his studio, to the delight of guests.

Corinthia, London
The second year of the artist-in-residence programme at London’s Corinthia hotel sees the Look Left Look Right theatre company perform “immersive theatre” with guests, until April 21. As the programme develops it is intended that artists will specialise in a distinct discipline, be it art, theatre, film, fashion, design or so on, and each year a panel of judges will commission a work that draws on the winner’s talents.

Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee
This historic American hotel has a collection of Victorian art which it claims is the largest of its kind in any hotel in the world. For the past three years, it has run a studio and gallery in which a chosen artist can work and exhibit to hotel guests and the general public. Scheduled art tours can be arranged for guests through the hotel concierge.

The Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Shanghai
Based on the premise that “The real luxury in life is art”, this Shanghai hotel invites up to 18 international artists to stay – in return for a piece of art from each. Participants in the programme are chosen by an Artist Selection Committee that includes Swatch Group employees and the actor George Clooney, with successful candidates permitted to stay at the hotel for a period between three and six months. The hotel is currently developing a ‘virtual museum’ which will allow a digital audience to see contributing artists’ work without committing to a trip to Shanghai.

April 2, 2013 | Ed Watkins for Hotel News Now

Marcus Hotels purchased the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 2012 and rebranded it as a Marriott.

MILWAUKEE—Under new President Kirk A. Rose, Marcus Hotels & Resorts is ready to grow. According to Rose, that growth will come in a variety of ways: ownership, partial equity investments and even third-party management.

“We’ve got quite a bit of activity in our pipeline, some of which is through classic developer or fund relationships, but we’re also looking at other opportunities,” said Rose, who joined Marcus in January from Salt Creek Hospitality, a private equity group where he was a partner.

“We see opportunities in urban areas as well as in tertiary markets and suburban areas of major cities. While we have a lot of existing relationships in the Midwest, we also want to grow in markets in the South, Southwest and Southeast.”

A good example of Marcus’ tertiary market strategy is a 2012 deal that pre-dates Rose joining the company. In September, Marcus and its affiliate, MCS Capital, purchased the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln*, Nebraska. The company added the Marriott brand to the 297-room hotel and launched a multimillion-dollar renovation that will be completed later this year. The company declined to say how much they paid for the hotel.

Kirk A. Rose Marcus Hotels & Resorts

“We’re in those (tertiary) cities now, and we’ve had success,” Rose said. “There’s a bias, especially with investor capital from the East Coast, to shy away from those markets. You must be one of the top two or three hotels in your competitive set, but there’s no reason to shy away.”

He added the service model might need to be different and the product doesn’t need the same kinds of finishes as do hotels in top 10 markets.

“You can’t build The Plaza in Des Moines (Iowa) and think you’ll make money,” he said.

Growth through third-party management contracts will be selective, Rose said, depending on properties’ locations and profiles. With 20 properties in the Marcus portfolio, he said it wouldn’t be prudent to quickly add 10 more hotels.

“We wouldn’t take (a management) agreement in Seattle just to grow, but we would go to Seattle if it made strategic sense to do so,” he said. “One of my fears is that we grow too fast. We won’t want to risk our reputation as a good operator and partner just to add another hotel.”

Select-service lifestyle
Rose also has interest in the burgeoning lifestyle hotel niche. He admires brands like Hilton Garden Inn and Hyatt Place for their abilities to steal market share from traditional suburban full-service hotels. He also sees value in the service models of branded boutiques such as Aloft Hotels and Hotel Indigo. For Marcus, the opportunity might be in lifestyle hotels that embrace the select-service operating model, Rose said.

“We’re in the exploratory stages for this kind of product,” he said. “It’s even something we could do ourselves.”

While Rose doesn’t see Marcus expanding to markets outside of the U.S., he believes the company could find opportunities in resort properties. Again, selectivity is the key, he said.

“We would be interested in value-add opportunities where we could use our balance sheet and operating expertise to reposition properties and make them more competitive,” he said.

A family connection
For Rose, the move to Marcus was a natural progression. Before Salt Creek, which was headed by former Global Hyatt President Douglas Geoga, Rose spent nine years at Hyatt, including six years as senior VP and CFO. Like Hyatt, Marcus is a firm founded by a family that’s still very involved in the company.

“It’s very similar to Hyatt in that it is a family culture where the Marcus family is very involved in the local community,” he said. “It creates a dynamic that’s less based on short-term profits and more on long-term investment success.”

He’s optimistic for the future of Marcus and for the hotel industry, despite ongoing uncertainties in the economy.

“The leisure traveler continues to travel and business travel remains strong, but group business hasn’t come back from 2007-2008 peaks,” he said. “It’s been a time of slow, steady growth without a lot of new supply, which has helped us, but if supply comes back, we could have some hiccups.”

*Correction, 2 April 2013: The original version of the story incorrectly stated the Cornhusker Hotel is in Omaha, Nebraska.

Your First Family VayKay

by Laura Manske

Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Got older kids too? Moose Mountain Falls Waterpark — a 50, 000-square-foot year-round wet zone of indoor-outdoor slides and pools — woos families to this 225-suite lodge. No one minds if your tot screeches gleefully; the place abounds with kids! And grown-ups will feel playful too — take turns with your honey on the waterslides! A Tiny Timbers area has baby-appropriate bucket swings, low slides, spouts, and a “mushroom” waterfall. Bonus: The elegant, 335-room Grand Geneva Resort is next door (GrandGeneva.com); guests at both share a fitness center, spa, and restaurants.

Skirvin Hilton Hotel

• “2012” Hilton Brand Award of Excellence.” Outstanding performers for loyalty, service, condition and cleanliness based on SALT and QA Scores. March, 2013
• AAA Four Diamond rating for 7^th consecutive year – 2013
• Ranked #1 in both Best Oklahoma City Hotels and Best Oklahoma Hotels for second consecutive year by US News & World Report 2/5/13
• Named 2012 Best Hotel in Oklahoma City and the State of Oklahoma by US News & World Report. Only four Hilton Hotels were included on this list.
• Received the Pinnacle Awards by Successful Meetings magazine 2011 & 2012
• Received No. 1 rank in cleanliness for guest rooms and bathrooms by Hilton Hotels in 2012
• Convention South magazine “2011 Annual Readers Choice Award” for exhibiting excellence, creativity and professionalism in the meetings & convention industry
• Oklahoma Magazine “Best of the Best” 2011 for Best Hotel and Best Wedding or Party Venue
• Meetings Focus –South for “Best of the South in Excellence 2011”
• Received No. 1 rank in cleanliness for guest rooms and bathrooms by Hilton Hotels in 2012
• Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association Star of Industry – Community Service Award in 2010
• Mayors’ Development Award for best downtown development in 2008
• Top 5% of Hilton Worldwide in Voice of the Customer in 2009
• Ranked #1 in MQI
• Trip Advisor – “Top Business Hotel”

Artist Stephanie Barenz takes up her position as the new artist-in-residence at the Pfister Hotel this week, succeeding out-going artist Timothy Westbrook. TCD will check in with her throughout the year to catch up on the art and stories emerging as her project, The Carriers, develops. But first, Kat Murrell talked with Stephanie to hear about her artistic background, recent projects, and the inspirations she’ll bring to her work at the Pfister.

Kat Murrell: How and when did you realize you wanted to become an artist?

Artist Stephanie Barenz at work in her studio at Plaid Tuba.

Stephanie Barenz: It was something my parents recognized in me when I was young. I was a really shy kid and I had always expressed myself [in art]. So they really encouraged me to pursue it. But I didn’t really become serious about it until college. I thought maybe I’d become an art therapist or an art educator, which I ended up going to to school for, because you never think it’s practical to paint full time – you hear so few stories of people actually being able to make it.

When I got to my junior year of college I studied abroad in Florence and met some really great mentors. They encouraged me to get my MFA. When I came back I started applying to graduate school and ended up going to a residency in Chicago, a printmakers’ collaborative, and I was there for a year and then got into grad school at Washington University. While I was there it really became clear to me that, although I love to teach, I kept being pulled back into the studio – constantly. I feel like every art educator feels that way.

That’s pretty much the journey. I’ve had ups and downs. Last year I was in China teaching English abroad because I wanted the chance to travel and because it was really hard to make ends meet. I’ve taken odd jobs here and there but this year, since I’ve gotten married, it’s been easier to be in the studio full time.

KM: Is there a body of work or new projects you have planned for the Pfister?

SB: I just finished a body of work called Middle Kingdoms and I had a show at the end of November in Mequon at River Edge Gallery.

Stephanie Barenz, Middle Kingdom. Image courtesy of the artist.

That series was based on my travels last year, particularly focusing on the idea of homesickness and how when you’re in a new culture or a new place, everything about your home becomes magnified. Your friends are kings and queens, the food from home is like the best food you can ever remember, and then you come back to your home or your familiar place,there’s this longing for what was, and things are altered.

The Carriers, which is the title of my next series, is borne out of that. It’s this idea of taking memory, or gathering objects or things that have been part of our travels, and literally putting them on the back of what we’ve used to travel.

Part of my proposal [for the Pfister Artist-in-Residence project] is to talk with the guests about their travels and their stories, their connection to Milwaukee or other places, and then work with them to make a piece.

KM: What do you find about Milwaukee that is especially intriguing or connects you to it?

SB: I’ve lived mostly in the Midwest but have traveled all over, and there’s something about Milwaukee and its friendliness. I think anyone who visits here usually says that. It’s big, but at the same time in the art community you know everyone. I came here from grad school in St. Louis and within six months I knew everyone and people were so welcoming. I just have a huge heart for it.