The Clarke Hotel Reviews

The bathroom smelled like sewage, the toilet was broken and wouldn't flush.. The bath tub water wouldn't stay running. The heat didn't work and we were freezing all night. We've stayed in much nicer hotels for less than we payed here. Not a great way to spend our 10 year anniversary.

The room was very nice (extremely large bathroom and shower), however the whole first floor had a sewage/bathroom smell.

Great place to stay in the heart of Waukesha. So many things to do within walking distance. Accommodations are amazing. Great value.. would recommend to all...

If I were just rating the staff I would give a 5 star review because 90% of the staff were wonderful, helpful, genuine and really tried to do whatever they could for you.

It's a real mixed bag to review here. We had reserved rooms for a wedding at the Rotunda and location and convenience can't be beat for access to the venue, restaurants, bars and walking/running areas. Room sizes are good to great and I know this because I was in quite a few rooms because of having many guests here.

Unfortunately, the a/c in the large rooms aren't able to cool the entire room and when our son slept on the sofa bed at the opposite end of the room from the a/c he was boiling all night. The manager came up the next day to over-ride the setting which definitely helped so don't be shy ask for help. If you are staying on a Friday night in the summer go out and enjoy the summer music in the street celebration because you'll here it clearly in the rooms, so just be aware and you can't beat them so just join in.

We got here a day before everyone else and there was a very unpleasant odor in our room and in the lounge area on our floor where everyone walks through to get to their room. We just got vanilla deodorizer and sprayed a ton before our guests arrived. Now, few of the other rooms had the same smell as ours so I don't know the cause but vanilla glade is awesome.

By the way the lounge areas on floor 2 are such a nicety to this hotel. It is on the historic register so there will be quirky things that you will not have at newer hotels.

Major positive are the showers, everyone was raving about showers and the comfort of beds with the caveat of the pull out sofa bed in room 201. The mattress is about 4" thick and is made up of all springs and a thin padding on top. Our son actually had a spring imprint on his back the next morning.

So, yes I would recommend this hotel giving you full disclosure on what to expect. Just don't use the sofa beds and realize the refrigerators are actually coolers so be thoughtful as to what you put in them.

Wonderful historic place to eat or to have celebrations. Great staff and wonderful food.

Nice atmosphere. Very relaxed. Good section of beer and wine. Menu is definitely comfort food.

There are a lot of Irish pubs around Waukesha but this is the only one with a true Irish feel.

Very nice, wonderful bar, good staff, will visit again next time I'm in Waukesha.

Checking into the Clarke an hour before a friends wedding, and they tell us at the front desk our reservation (made through a 3rd party company) was not in their system. Having the confirmation email to our reservation with us, everything seemed to be in order for our Double King room. However the Clarke has no explanation, as to why they could not find us in their system, mumbling that this happens a lot with 3rd party reservations. Explaining that they are completely book, and have been so months in advance for this weekend, they had nothing available to even offer us. Completely unapologetic they moved on to the person being us. This was a friends wedding. We knew of many people, also, staying at the Clarke. I found it very odd when a friend told us they had checked into their room, at the Clarke on Thursday, and had to be moved and upgraded to a "double king room" because the previous room given to him was not suitable for guests. If the hotel had been "completely booked" for that weekend, months in advance, why was our friend able to be upgraded to a different room no problem? Not only was it upsetting, we completely had to scramble last minute to find a place to stay, missing some of our friends wedding activities. Thanks Clarke Hotel.....

What hotel doesn t have internet??? The one thing I needed and it was urgent. Epic fail Clarke Hotel! I guess I should have went to a Motel 6 because I ve never had any internet issues there.

Small quaint downtown Waukesha hotel, pretty basic room, great bathrooms, nice Irish bar.

It looks like a nice hotel to stay in, but this is a warning regarding booking: you may want to book directly with the hotel and not one of the third party websites. I booked with a third party service, and had seen that another reviewer had some trouble with a third party booking, so I decided to call ahead to confirm my reservation. I was told they had no record of my reservation and that they were fully booked. I was able to make a reservation with another hotel for the trip, so I am glad I called ahead to confirm. Like I said, it may be best to book directly with the hotel.

We have found our new get away when Mom and Dad want to go away for the weekend we will be back.

One of the few hotels in Wausheka. A historic hotel and restaurant with large guest rooms, comfortable beds, and large bathrooms.

This hotel accommodated us for a wedding. Their rooms were spacious with very amazing showers. The lay out of the hotel is confusing and not well labeled also the elevators take 3 years to go anywhere. However Brad the bartender is a gentleman and knows his scotch and whiskey. Definitely will come here again to both stay and drink.

The room and location were fantastic. The shower was awesome. Would definitely stay here again when I come back through town. The quality and location are worth a few extra dollars over staying out by the highways.

Great food! I was there with a group of 20. The waiter was responsive with a great attitude. The food was great! Lots of variety and lots of new flavors I haven't had before. 11/10

Great atmosphere, super selection of tap beers, scotch, and bourbon. Food is very good. Rooms are large and comfortable but less than you will expect from the hype

Colcannon poppers were very tasty. The root soup was phenomenal and worth a trip alone, but the atmosphere and beer list is excellent. Unexpected embrace of more craft from an Irish style pub. Nicely done.

Staff is friendly and rooms are huge. Super value for the price. The food is great

Had a very large event here, did and staff were very helpful and made the event a great success.

Beautiful room, very spacious with an AMAZING shower.

It's been along time since we've had a fish fry that good!!!!! And the hubby love a nice Irish pub.

Our room was spotless and large. Our bathroom was roomy and the shower was wonderful. Our bed was comfortable. The staff was friendly and the food is great. The complimentary breakfast is on the smaller side and there wasn't a phone in our room. But taking all things into consideration, I would recommend this hotel to anybody. We had a great time in the bar and they brought music in, both nights. They are located right on main street where there were plenty of shops to visit. My husband and I would go again in a heartbeat.

We had a baby shower brunch here! It was very nice. The staff was very accommodating to all our needs. The room was beautiful!

Excellent food in the restaurant. Cottage pie was awesome!

Their fish fry is quite good and reasonably priced. The bar has a great vintage vibe and a fantastic selection of whiskeys. They also pour a perfect pint.

A true Irish pub with fireplace, music certain nights and Kilkenny beer!!

Delish dinner, wonderful shepherds pie. Kind attentive waiter. Live music in the bar some evenings. Definitely check it out!

I was in Waukesha overnight to look for apartments, and I really enjoyed my stay at the Clarke Hotel. I've stayed in many hotels across the country, and this one is one of the best I've stayed in. The room I stayed in was huge, and the receptionist was very courteous and professional. A few caveats are parking and breakfast. They didn't provide breakfast, and there were hardly any places to park. I had to use a parking garage just a few blocks down. Otherwise, everything was great! The decor was outstanding, the bathroom and shower room was huge, and the mini-fridge in the room was fully stocked with drinks. Overall, I was very pleased with the stay, and I would stay there again if I had to.

I went late sunday night and they only had the bartender on staff, but he was quick and friendly

Nice hotel downtown Waukesha. Plenty of restaurant, bars and boutique shops.

We toured the Clark hotel before booking it for my sister's wedding and it is really cool. It is unique and has large rooms. A lot of the hospital is not handicap accessible so be sure to mention that before booking. Great time in the bar though and a perfect Irish hang out

I have to admit, when I read a bad review I take it with a grain of salt since there are people who complain about everything. But, I should have paid attention to the bad reviews about the Clarke. When we arrived at the hotel there was a sign that stated the restaurant and bar were closed for renovations. Since it was extremely cold we had planned to stay in the hotel as much as possible. Then when we got to the front desk we were told we would have to park (and pay) in a ramp a couple of blocks away. Again, it was very cold and we weren't thrilled with having to walk so far. I told the girl at the front desk that it would have been nice if we had known all of this BEFORE checking in. Perhaps there could have been a mention on the website? There was so much light in our room that we asked to be moved to a darker part of the hotel, even if it meant being in a smaller room. When the bars on Main Street closed we were awakened by rowdy patrons. We were told by the front desk that the people who renovated the hotel had cheaped out on windows. No kidding. Our room was 62 degrees when we checked in. Hadn't anyone thought to set the thermostat prior to our checking in? We had to wear our coats for several hours. The heat was incredibly loud and the air blew right across the bed and was so strong it moved the window shades, letting in even more light. We were both awake several hours. But the second night was even worse. Apparently the people in the room next to us were having some sort of fight. They ran up and down the hallway and slammed the doors several times. And we could hear them swearing very clearly. Not exactly the type of patrons one expects when they pay to stay in a boutique hotel. This went on for almost two hours. The person working the desk should have called the police and had them evicted. When we checked out the desk manager who hadn't worked the night shift was very apologetic. HOWEVER, because we had booked through an online site and not the hotel directly there was nothing they could do to compensate us. He told us the next time we stay our room is free. Even though the rooms are lovely, I'm not sure a free room is worth it.

The place I like to stay when I am in the area. I really love this hotel and location. A few things you should know before booking a room. 1) Parking is a bit of a walk. 2) There is a strange smell that starts the moment you enter the elevator, but rooms smell fine. 3) Very cool Irish Pub/Restaurant below hotel that has the best selection of whiskey. 3) All rooms are a little different, most are very spacious tall ceilings, proper views and very nice showers. 4) Doors lock at 11pm so get there early or you might have to wait for someone to come in and check you in. 5) Great local coffee shop a few storefronts down is a bonus!

Very nice high end boutique hotel, very friendly staff and outstanding food dishes!

Stayed here 4 a week. Great friendly staff. Pub below serves Kilkenny...what more could you ask for? Spacious rooms, very clean. Looking forward to my next visit.

Got the fish and chips, which we've had and liked in the past. This time, the fish was very soggy and greasy. Seemed as if it was a cooked long enough. When you mentioned this to the waitress and my girlfriend couldn't even finish one of her three pieces the waitress asked if you wanted it boxed. Definitely not the experience we were looking for. $70 for three subpar fish fries is definitely not a good dinner

Staff was amazing. Downtown waukesha is definitely a party place and our hotel was right in the middle of it. The
rooms are nice the bathrooms are big and I love the pillows. The complimentary breakfast was tasty

The Reuben Rolls were amazing! Also the bartender was very friendly. Definitely had a good time and would recommend.

Dave the bartender is a mainstay and everything he serves is right on. The food is sometimes good like the Drunken Mushrooms and the Reuben Rolls however sometimes I'm a bit disappointed in some of the other meals I have ordered. all-in-all it's a great place to stop and a super place for events. -MJ

My husband and I love staying here. The street noise can be loud at times, but we use a white noise app on our phone to cover it up. Everything else is great. The location is ideal.

In charming downtown Waukesha. They have a nice selection of wines and an Irish pub with equally good selection of beers. Rooms are big and the staff is very accommodating

A gem of an Irish pub in downtown Waukesha. Irish fare with a contemporary twist. Excellent selection of spirits. Offers beer, wine and cocktails as well. Slainte!

Your restaurant and service is horrible. How can you be out of half your menu? Jimmys Grotto has a better experience!

Awesome staff and very nice hotel. Looks just like the pictures. Very clean.

I spent the weekend here and I will definitely return. The hospitality was absolutely amazing. The food and the pub was absolutely amazing. The peace and quiet and the quality of the room was absolutely amazing.

Wonderful rooms! Wonderful food! Wonderful service!Wonderful Martinis

Pros: Large clean room, spacious clean bathroom (shower had 5 shower heads), great bartender and wait staff, live Irish music (Jeff Ward was awesome), hotel price was discounted and included hot brunch for 2
Cons: No valet parking even though advertised (closest overnight parking was far away), street under major construction, numerous rundown/vacant storefronts, front desk staff at check in was not customer friendly (though bar/restaurant staff were really great)

Fantastic Hotel and staff! The second we walked in we were greeted by Josh and we felt like he was a family member. It was as if we just walked in the front door at home. Our room was awesome! Later we had dinner at Five Points Pub and Josh and Brad were bartending, they were fun and very accommodating. We were a little skeptical about how the food would be at first but were pleasantly surprised when it arrived. Everything was delicious. The next morning prior to checking out we met Karla. She was so personable and friendly. She gave us an exclusive tour of the building, which we appreciated tremendously! We will definitely be returning here again and would highly recommend it to anyone searching for a great time and accommodations!

Owner very unfriendly as well as the staff I do not advise this establishment !!!

The first time i went was great until yesterday the older bartender was acting racist and didnt even offer a glass of water.

While we enjoyed the hotel when we stayed last Sunday night they charged out credit card again after checking out and will not reverse the charge or correct it. Please beware

All 4 of our party had excellent meals. The cold carrot, ginger, curry soup of the day was brilliant. We'll be back to try other menu items soon.

Old windows didnt work ..vent loud ...tv hummed. ...lamp broken bad bfast just all bad and cops calld outside alot

Nice, old hotel in downtown, includes a pub downstairs and a restaurant. Rooms were ok, a little confusing to find my way around the floors but that was part of the fun, make sure to look at all the art on the walls. The key readers were a pain, took me an average of 8 tries to unlock. If you check in during pun business hours you will have to wait for one of the bartenders to be available since they don't have a full time receptionist. Can get a little loud on weekends.

We are having our wedding next year at The Rotunda, just down the road. We stopped in to have a drink and some appetizers. Had ruben rolls and spinach artichoke dip, both were fantastic. Bartender was excellent. We will be booking this hotel for our wedding weekend!

I do love the Clarke to stay at the Clarke when I travel to WI for work. They treat you like family. The staff is wonderful.the rooms spacious. Just keep in mind it is a rather old building. So an elevator does go all the way up to 3rd floors. I keep coming back!

Bathroom was huge! Overall, Nice hotel! It is older so there isn't an elevator to the third floor. Also, it gets VERY loud until 3 or 4 in the morning at this location. It's not the fault of the hotel but more of a traveler beware type situation. We are relatively young so we knew this going in. There are dents, dings, and quirky things with this hotel since it is structurally older but that ads to the charm in my opinion. I'd like to hear the backstory!

The rooms were great and oversee Main street. No problems

Hotel was wonderful and quaint. Loved the rooms. They were all unique, no cookie-cutter experience. Restaurant/bar staff was friendly, but one of the waiters seemed either new or didnt care about his job too much. Continental breakfast was probably the most bare bones breakfast i have seen. Small cups of oj, quiche you could microwave, yogurts, or bagels to toast.

Stayed there from Saturday into Sunday, and a few points to note:

There was little to no staff there and it felt strangely deserted.

The second floor lobby had no lights on at any point. By 6pm it was dark and weird.

During the day, the town is basically completely deserted. More places aren't even open until the late morning. But at night, there were a ton of people out. Loud music was playing at the bar across the street until late into the night. It wasn't a quiet cozy place like it seemed from the advertisement. Apparent there's a lot of summer night life. But since the hotel is on the corner, there aren't many interior rooms and they all share large windows with the outside noise.

Overall it was okay. The room was nice and the bar was fancy.

Quirky Hotel, comfy beds, great location, decent beer selection, service sometimes slow

Business Road Warrior ... Great accommodations and amenities. get tired of the standard Hampton, Marriott, Holiday Inn stuff...

Renovated Irish pub on first floor, also serves as "To Order Omelette" area for breakfast. Fun Downtown Waukesha location. Near the "Peoples Park" restaurant for wonderful supper, and Nice Ash Cigar Bar is across the street with live music and great atmosphere. Use the Valet Parking, worth the money to not walk to the garage, especially in winter. Enjoy !

We did not stay at the hotel but we had dinner at the Irish Pub. It was the worst service I have had at a dinning establishment in ten years. I believe the service was not do to the inexperience of the wait staff as explained to me by the management but by the establishments desire to maximize the number of beverages a person orders while they are waiting for there food. It was a little too obvious. It became apparent to me why the bar was filled with drunks and the dinning room was empty at the height of the dinner hour. They would be the only ones that would not care about such a practice.

Attentive staff, great room, convenient location in heart of the city.

Our stay was for only one night, however we will definitely be back! My fiance' and I both loved everything about our stay! The room was amazing, service was perfect and the hotel is charming!

We stayed there on our wedding night. The 2nd floor smelt like sewer. Our toilet in our room ran all night and didn't flush the next morning. The maid of honor also stayed there and their room number on the door fell off and their towel bar fell off the wall. For the price, it is definitely not worth it.

Great hotel with large clean rooms. Friendly staff.