The Stella Hotel & Ballroom — Hotel in Kenosha

The Stella went above and beyond before, during, and after our wedding. If you are looking for a wedding venue in the Chicago/Milwaukee area that is unique and affordable, I would strongly recommend checking out the Stella. The team at the Stella is professional, organized, and provides outstanding service. From our first meeting with Yvette back in 2018, my husband and I both had the “warm and fuzzies” about what a unique venue the Stella would be and how well it fit our vision for our dream day. The construction for the Stella was not completed yet, and I’m so thankful we went with our gut and selected the Stella for our wedding. The Stella was flexible and willing to work with to create a custom wedding package which allowed us to stay within our budget. This was a huge priority to us, and we were able to get so much more than we ever imagined (center pieces, day of coordinators, helpful staff, complimentary tasting, etc). It was a pleasure working closely with Yvette and Catherine during the planning process. They were always very responsive and professional. The day of the venue was perfect and made the day fantastic and easy, not for only the bridal party, but all our guests as well. We had all our events in one place– getting ready the bridal suite, ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all at the Stella. This made the day very easy for us and our guests not having to move locations. With the Stella being near Lake Michigan, we drove a few minutes for gorgeous lake front scenery for our wedding party photos. The bridal suite was the perfect spot to get ready in. The room was spacious enough for everyone to get ready without feeling crowded. We also got some great photos in all the well-designed and decorated rooms. The food and drinks were a hit! For our meal selection, we had Chicken Marsala and Ricotta stuffed Ravioli. Everyone enjoyed their food and the plated service. The drinks were well poured, and a wide selection of spirits were provided so our guests could enjoy their drink of choice. We also had custom “bride and groom” cocktails which allowed us to add a personal touch. During all the dancing, the Stella staff even put the card box and gifts in the locked bridal suite to ensure nothing was stolen. This was not something I asked for but was appreciated and proved that the Stella is always looking out for their guests! The staff at the Stella was even put a card into our card box. All the little Stella touches added up into making our day special. The next morning, we provided a brunch in the large room next to the restaurant, and it really wrapped up the weekend perfectly for us. The American buffet style brunch portions were generous, and our guests loved meal and the extra time we were able to spend together. For those guests that wanted something else, the Stella café was right around the corner. Overall, the Stella gave us our dream wedding – unique, classy, and fun! I would highly recommend having your wedding or event here in the future.

Photo Credit: Blu...

My mother, daughter and I spent 6 nights at the Stella and while it was a lovely boutique hotel it really didn’t live up to the expectations. Upon our arrival we asked the gentleman at the front desk to check to make sure our room had a pull out bed as we were stay in one of their heritage suites. He looks up from his computer and says “oh you’re in luck you have the last working pull out couch all the rest are broken haha”. (Not funny when you’re arriving for a 6 night stay at 9p).

In our room the air conditioning did not circulate into the bedroom, the main living room would be freezing and the bedroom would be 8-10 degrees warmer. The reason we wanted the heritage suite was so that we could shut the door between rooms for privacy. Having to sleep with the door open eliminated that option completely. We let the staff know, but since it was the only room with a functioning pull out couch we were left with no other options.

The wall between the bathroom and bedroom had some sort of leak and water/condensation pooled on the walls at all time giving off a musty smell that would absolutely lead to mold.

The room was not cleaned before we arrived as we found numerous hair pins on the carpet and the room was just overall dusty/dirty. The beds were made and towels set up but that was the extent. When we mentioned this to the staff they stated that the room will be cleaned on Saturday (this was still on Thursday).

We also paid for daily $10 breakfast vouchers…these were not given to us upon our arrival I had to go down and ask. The front desk employee was so annoyed she had to write out 21 tickets stating twice that “people usually only do this for 1-2 days not the entire week so this will take some time”. Which I was fine with…however once seeing the abysmal breakfast options at the cafe I wish we had just asked for a refund on the breakfast cards. The bread, bagels, and muffins were all hard and stale even after trying them on multiple dates. We ended up using the tickets to just stock our fridge with sodas, waters and fruit, and then giving the rest we had left over away to other guests.

On a less serious note, we asked the front desk for extra wash clothes, 3 of us in 1 room, we asked for 6. We had them on the counter folded…when they came to clean the room they took those to be washed and only left 2 clean ones. It was strange and kind of defeats the purpose of saving towels.

It was also a bit strange by how little storage there was. I understand it might not be a hotel intended for longer stays but there was hardly any storage in the bathroom, and nowhere to unpack a suitcase. It was honestly a strange use of so much space in my opinion.

As a Kenosha native who moved away I was so excited to stay at the Stella but was sadly disappointed. They charge boutique hotel prices without boutique services. I’d rather say at a Marriott in the future where I know my stay will be the same every time and at least breakfast...

Not a good experience!!

Update #2: Day three (checkout day) last night as I entered the room I noticed my door ajar. Apparently it sticks so much that my manual pull in the morning didn't work to latch the door. They have a security feature at the elevator (you have to have your room key to go to the room floors) so I wasn't too concerned, just frustrated that that was even an issue since the doors lock automatically.

I didn't want to bother the one housekeeper I have seen here but the last "clean" washcloth I had here was folded up nice and neat but obviously dirty!!! It's just the last straw for this place. I paid $160/night with tax which was a deep discount according to the website... No. That's a marketing lie. It was not worth what I paid. Update: housekeeping is by request only. You can stay there three days, 5 days, however many days and no one will come into your room to freshen up unless you request it. Additionally there is no coffee or hospitality offered in the main area: you can purchase coffee in the little cafe (Starbucks prices) or you can use the little pot in your room with pods of unknown age.

I was disappointed in this hotel. When I got there it was difficult to figure out where to park. Apparently there's a parking deck diagonally across the street, the parking lot next to the ice cream store across the street, and a parking lot on the end of the block across the street. But nothing nearby. The only option is to have street parking which is quickly taken. Hotel rooms are typical except they have a bit of a disturbing wallpaper above the headboards with a buck and landscape. There are three bottles of $20/ea cocktail mix sitting on the desk that have to be moved if you're going to use it for an office space. There is a mini fridge and microwave. I will say the housekeeping staff is doing a fantastic job at keeping the apartments clean but the hallway smells a little bit like "worn socks" - carpet smell. There is no laundry facilities, so make sure you know where you're going to clean your clothes if you're going to be there for an extended time. There are some dodgy places nearby so I would recommend you do your research and find a safe location. There was one associate that was supposed to be at the front desk (she wasn't there when I got there and we waited probably 3 or 4 minutes for her return) and two associates in the little bistro (where they do not have trays for you to take your food to your room), and one housekeeper (very kind and courteous). That is the limit to the staff that I saw. I checked in on Monday - I was allowed to check in early at 11:00 a.m. which was a...