It's "Madison Week" at OnMilwaukee.com. We sent our editorial staff to check out bars, restaurants, retail outlets and cultural venues in order to uncover some of the best of Wisconsin's second-largest city.
MADISON -- From the outside, you might not expect that The Edgewater is Madison's most famous celebrity hotel. But take a seat at the Cove Lounge, overlooking Lake Mendota, and you'll see wall-to-wall autographed head shots from every era since the iconic hotel opened in 1946.
Indeed, The Edgewater, 666 Wisconsin Ave., is a throwback in every sense of the word. From its Art Deco design, with the lobby on the first floor and rooms descending downward to the lake, to its exceptionally spacious rooms and suites, to its formal yet retro sensibilities with turn-down and outdoor cabana services -- staying at The Edgewater is a little like stepping back in time.
The Edgewater is, and always has been a family-owned business. It was born when a group of doctors needed better accommodations for patients visiting the neighboring Quisling Clinic, and they began construction on the building in 1941. World War II stalled their efforts, but once it ended, the group set out to build the most modernized, elegant hotel Madison could offer.
At the time, Austin "Auggie" Faulkner served as the hotel's general manager, coming to Madison from Chicago's Drake Hotel. "He thought that since people were performing in Chicago and Minneapolis, we could afford to hire them as a stop-over," says Judy Alberts, the hotel's director of sales and marketing.
"He thought we could put them up on the rooftop and have them perform for a good price. We got it broadcast on live radio and recorded them," says Alberts. "They got Jimmy Dorsey, Ralph Flanagan and all the big bands of the time."
And that became the genesis of the hotel's rock and roll history. Alberts says that music fans from all across the city would park their cars on nearby Langdon Street, just to hear the bands playing on The Edgewater's roof.
"Entertainers kept coming," says Alberts. "Last week, we had Little Big Town here and Sharon Jones, the queen of funk. We had Elvis here, and he rented out two floors." (If you ever visit Graceland, note the wooden Edgewater clothes hanger on the king's private jet.)
The list of celebrities goes on and on. The hotel has hosted John Mellencamp, Johnny Cash, Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Bob Denver ... you name it.
Alberts says the hotel still has an exciting vibe surrounding it. She cites events at their five-star restaurant called The Admiralty Dining Room, and the "cruise ship" feel of a hotel whose rooms descend toward the lake.
Still owned by the Faulkner family, Auggie's son, Scott, now serves as general manager.
The Edgewater won't blow you away with luxury in this 107-room hotel, but its style and class is evident, if not a little understated. Its slogan, after all, is "At The Edgewater Hotel, the only thing we overlook is Lake Mendota."
And it's true. Wander the hallways and you'll quickly realize The Edgewater is a quintessential part of Madison's history. And, despite renovations past and current, Alberts says the hotel is intent on keeping its Art Deco feel.
To stay at a hotel worth of inclusion in both Joni Mitchell and Cyndi Lauper's songs won't necessarily break the bank, either. During the winter months, room rates range from $139 to $399. This summer, they will range from $159 to $419, says Alberts.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
