The Iron Horse Hotel represents the transformation of a 100-year-old warehouse into a modern luxury hotel situated in the heart of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Koss recently collaborated with the Iron Horse Hotel in creating a handful of elegant and unique listening stations which occupy the library adjacent to the lobby. The first is a renovated vintage phone-booth dubbed the 'Stereophone Booth.' The Stereophone Booth is equipped with various Koss Headphones for listeners to try out such as the Porta Pro, Pro4S, KPH30i and many others. Listeners can also enjoy their favorite vinyl provided by the hotel on a custom portable record player created by Koss; outfitted with dual Koss Pro/4AA over-ear headphones. We sat down with the Iron Horse Hotel to talk about their history, their love for music and what it means to be in Milwaukee. 
How did the Iron Horse Hotel come to be? The hotel is the brainchild of developer and renaissance man Tim Dixon who is also the driving force behind the historic The Last Hotel in downtown St. Louis (slated to open later this summer). The Walker’s Point neighborhood it calls home was often heralded as the “next big thing”— but never quite found its footing. A decade later, the opening of The Iron Horse is lauded as the turning point for this district, which now boasts a bevy of award-winning foodie destinations, bustling bars, popular coffee shops, and mod boutiques. 
The Iron Horse Hotel has a very warm industrial aesthetic to it, tell us about this stylistic choice. The styling of the hotel and former mattress factory reflects the unique vision of our owner and his mission to create a space that reflects and highlights the history of the building. Defined by its original Cream City brick and heavy timber post-and-beam construction, our hotel is an industrial chic décor pioneer. In the lobby, custom chandeliers feature motorcycle gears and throwing knives while apothecary cabinets are filled with antiques and curiosities. The hotel’s most quintessential object d’art is the massive American flag fashioned out of 52 pairs of hand-painted denim jeans that hangs proudly in the lobby. How did the Iron Horse get involved with Koss We knew we wanted to create an enhanced music experience at The Iron Horse Hotel and partnering with a local company was key. When it comes to headphones and sound quality there is no one better than Koss. I think it’s the creative vision of two fabulous Milwaukee entities coming together to create a one-of-a-kind listening experience for visitors and Milwaukeeans alike. It doesn’t get much better than that! Why is music such an important part of the experience when staying with Iron Horse? While moto culture will always be our soul, we are a lifestyle hotel at heart. Music, art, food, fitness. If we are doing our job, the hotel should simultaneously feel like all of those things. But above all, music is the heartbeat of life. It evokes feeling, emotion. Music can take you from tears of sadness to tears of joy. It can take you to another place. We want our guests to feel all the joy that music can bring, and this partnership with Koss plays a vital role in making that happen. 
What advantage does being in Milwaukee give the Iron Horse other cities might not? Milwaukee is so incredibly cool and somehow manages to fly under the radar. We love to surprise and delight guests, just like the city itself. Any notable guests you can mention who have stayed at the Iron Horse? Too many to count — but none that I can name! Guest privacy is always No. 1. 
Signature drink at Branded? That’s tough; we have many incredible signature cocktails at Branded, but we are known for our fantastic Old Fashioned’s. Personally, I am a huge fan of the Rose Lindsey — Campari, strawberry syrup, lime, grapefruit, Ketel One grapefruit & rose, and soda. It’s life-changing. Besides getting a good night sleep, what else does the Iron Horse want guests to feel/experience when staying? We are the genuine Milwaukee hotel. A visit to The Iron Horse Hotel should feel like a visit to the best of everything Milwaukee. That’s our goal. Follow The Iron Horse Hotel on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Visit The Iron Horse Hotel website here.
How did the Iron Horse Hotel come to be? The hotel is the brainchild of developer and renaissance man Tim Dixon who is also the driving force behind the historic The Last Hotel in downtown St. Louis (slated to open later this summer). The Walker’s Point neighborhood it calls home was often heralded as the “next big thing”— but never quite found its footing. A decade later, the opening of The Iron Horse is lauded as the turning point for this district, which now boasts a bevy of award-winning foodie destinations, bustling bars, popular coffee shops, and mod boutiques. The Iron Horse Hotel has a very warm industrial aesthetic to it, tell us about this stylistic choice. The styling of the hotel and former mattress factory reflects the unique vision of our owner and his mission to create a space that reflects and highlights the history of the building. Defined by its original Cream City brick and heavy timber post-and-beam construction, our hotel is an industrial chic décor pioneer. In the lobby, custom chandeliers feature motorcycle gears and throwing knives while apothecary cabinets are filled with antiques and curiosities. The hotel’s most quintessential object d’art is the massive American flag fashioned out of 52 pairs of hand-painted denim jeans that hangs proudly in the lobby. How did the Iron Horse get involved with Koss We knew we wanted to create an enhanced music experience at The Iron Horse Hotel and partnering with a local company was key. When it comes to headphones and sound quality there is no one better than Koss. I think it’s the creative vision of two fabulous Milwaukee entities coming together to create a one-of-a-kind listening experience for visitors and Milwaukeeans alike. It doesn’t get much better than that! Why is music such an important part of the experience when staying with Iron Horse? While moto culture will always be our soul, we are a lifestyle hotel at heart. Music, art, food, fitness. If we are doing our job, the hotel should simultaneously feel like all of those things. But above all, music is the heartbeat of life. It evokes feeling, emotion. Music can take you from tears of sadness to tears of joy. It can take you to another place. We want our guests to feel all the joy that music can bring, and this partnership with Koss plays a vital role in making that happen. What advantage does being in Milwaukee give the Iron Horse other cities might not? Milwaukee is so incredibly cool and somehow manages to fly under the radar. We love to surprise and delight guests, just like the city itself. Any notable guests you can mention who have stayed at the Iron Horse? Too many to count — but none that I can name! Guest privacy is always No. 1. Signature drink at Branded? That’s tough; we have many incredible signature cocktails at Branded, but we are known for our fantastic Old Fashioned’s. Personally, I am a huge fan of the Rose Lindsey — Campari, strawberry syrup, lime, grapefruit, Ketel One grapefruit & rose, and soda. It’s life-changing. Besides getting a good night sleep, what else does the Iron Horse want guests to feel/experience when staying? We are the genuine Milwaukee hotel. A visit to The Iron Horse Hotel should feel like a visit to the best of everything Milwaukee. That’s our goal. Follow The Iron Horse Hotel on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Visit The Iron Horse Hotel website here.
