Trade Hotel opens in Milwaukee’s Deer District, with design nods to Hoan Bridge and three restaurants

The upscale Trade Hotel has opened in the Deer District, part of the ongoing development of the entertainment district around the Fiserv Forum.

The nine-story hotel was built at 420 W. Juneau Ave. just north of Fiserv Forum, in the former Park East Freeway strip. The hotel includes 207 rooms and about two dozen suites.

The hotel caters to people seeking a luxury experience, but also has three restaurants that could serve as a place for anyone to meet up before going to a Bucks game, concert or out in the Deer District, said general manager Rich Lundt.

The site was one of the vacant lots given to the Milwaukee Bucks by Milwaukee County as part of the public-private financing package for the Fiserv Forum.

Here are five things that caught our eye during a visit to the new hotel.

Rooftop restaurant and bar has views of the Deer District

Il Cervo is located on the ninth floor and features Italian food, including pizzas and hand-rolled pastas. It is owned and operated by Food Fight, a Madison-based restaurant group.

The rooftop restaurant has an outdoor terrace on the east and south sides that overlooks Juneau Avenue and Fiserv Forum. Inside, a U-shaped bar and couches near a fireplace could also be places to hang out and grab a drink.

Restaurants on 1st and 2nd floors a place to go before Bucks game

The hotel also has two other restaurants: Craft on the first floor and Solomon’s Terrace and Lounge on the second. Craft has gastropub fare, including burgers and local beer, and could be a place to meet up before a Bucks game.

Solomon’s Terrace features small plates and cocktails and wine. An outdoor terrace overlooks the Deer District and has heaters and fire pit tables to make it a comfortable place to hang out even during the chilly months.

Lobby’s yellow pillars a nod to Hoan Bridge

As part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection hotels, The Trade tries to tie elements of the city into its design and feel.

“There’s a big segment of the population that when they travel, they’re looking for an experience, something that’s not a cookie-cutter,” Lundt said. “When you walk into The Trade, this is Milwaukee.”

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In the lobby, arching, yellow pillars evoke the Hoan Bridge. The second-floor restaurant is named for Solomon Juneau, the fur trader and land speculator who helped found Milwaukee. Fixtures resembling brew kettles hang from the ceiling on the second floor, and some of the end tables contain basketballs.

The hotel partnered with Third Space Brewing to create a beer for the hotel, Lundt said. Other partnerships include J. Henry & Sons, which makes bourbon, and Colectivo Coffee.

4th floor rooms have MVP rooms for pro athletes

The hotel hopes to appeal to pro athletes who appreciate higher ceilings and taller bathroom fixtures. The fourth-floor rooms were designed with pro athletes in mind, with 9-foot shower heads, high vanities and California king-sized beds, said general manager Rich Lundt.

The same floor also has larger suites with a living space, a kitchenette and larger bedrooms.

2-story VIP presidential suite has outdoor patio, other perks

A two-story VIP presidential suite has an outdoor patio that looks out over the Fiserv Forum and the city, with the steeples of Saint John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and the I-94 freeway visible. The suite also has three TVs, a bar and a full kitchen.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New Trade Hotel in the Deer District offers upscale rooms, restaurants