- Charges for extra guests may apply and vary depending on the property's policy.
- A credit card for incidental charges and a government-issued photo ID are required at check-in.
- Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in and can't be guaranteed. Certain requests may come with additional charges.
- The credit card used at check-in for incidentals must be in the name of the primary guest who made the reservation.
- The following credit cards are accepted: American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa.
- Registered guests are the only ones allowed in guestrooms.
- No rollaway or extra beds are available.
- Parking has height restrictions.
Graduate Madison
3.5 out of 5.0
3.7
out of 5
Average Guest Review
See all 22 reviews
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Recent guest reviews
Stayed at this hotel last year to attend the Madison film festival. Same reason for coming to Madison this year. Very nice hotel, but this year when we arrived, we were informed there was an additional signficant parking fee per vehicle which was not the case last year. Not saying it wasn't fair, except for the fact that I would have like to known about this ahead of time. Almost struck me as a kind of bait and switch. Everything else was great, but I really don't like surprises.
A great boutique hotel, could perk up their cleaning!
very good. My wife and me liked it, but furnace was rather loud.
Staff is very nice. Clean room and was able to adjust the temperature.
No free parking, No Microwave in the room the Refrigerator isn't cold enough to keep your food fresh & the Coffe machine isn't working well ......my food went bad after one night stay.....
Very cute hotel with a coffee shop and a rooftop. Nice rooms at a reasonable price. Great place to stay to be close to both UW-Madison campus and the shopping and restaurants of State Street.
Very loud due to bar located directly above sleeping rooms.
Hotel staff not accommodating. Rude. I am referring to the desk people on check out day. Housekeeping staff very nice. Room very small. Bed small. Should have at least a queen size bed.
First, the downside. This place can be crazy expensive. Rooms are comically tiny (not a problem for us, but they felt half the size of a standard room... and we were in the suite). Rooftop restaurant and lounge were closed, which was not communicated to us prior. Lots of (generally well-behaved and quiet) vagrants out the front door. But you simply cannot beat the location--a block from the lake, right on the edge of campus and the downtown mall area, and walking distance from the Capitol. You're two blocks from the Wisconsin Union (which is mindblowingly beautiful when the weather's nice and live music is going). The hotel is exceptionally well-decorated in the public area and rooms. We stayed in the Camp Wandawega suite, which was amazingly well done. If you want a place with character, this is it. The bunk bed nook was the quietest and coziest spot I've ever found in a hotel. Best parking option is about a block away, in the State Street Campus Garage, about $8 a day with hourly parking available. It's not for everyone, but we LOVED it.
For the cost ($220/night) parking was simply unacceptable. Old crappy underground lot for SOME cars. Show up a bit later in the night, and you are told to drive 2 blocks to a City Parking Garage. They pay for it, but it was pouring rain so... Have valet parking for a hotel at that price point. And so easy to do... Then one (tiny) elevator wasn't working, and I got stuck in the other (tiny) elevator for 5 minutes before it went the other direction from my room and was then also out of service. And the kids at the front desk really didn't care much either way. Very disappointing for what should be a great experience on campus. And TINY exercise room to boot! This all on a summer night with nothing happening in town where maybe you would expect some chaos - can't imagine how they will do in football season...
This was the second time we stayed at the Graduate and we love the location, the UW decor, etc. but the high temperature of our room made our sleeping quite unpleasant. We tried adjusting the thermostat a number of times, called the staff, had a maintenance worker come to our room but all to no avail. Our room stayed around 75 degrees each evening and was quite unpleasant. The maintenance worker after spending some time adjusting the thermostat with no effect told us to open the windows. Not a very good answer for a $200/night stay I thought.
This was a fantastically stylish hotel right on the University of Madison campus. It's within walking distance of the state capitol building with lots of shopping, eating and drinking options nearby. Super convenient and very, very cute. I do have to say that it's in an older building, so the layout of the hotel rooms and the bathroom was just a little funky.
The Graduate is in a great location right off of State Street. Wonderful lobby, quaint rooms, great roof top bar. The rooms are pretty basic, but nice. Park your car and walk all weekend. Love the wallpaper in the bathroom!
I was very impressed by the overall aesthetic of The Graduate and loved its amazingly convenient location right next to State Street. The staff went above and beyond to make sure that my stay was comfortable. There were several wonderful amenities including full-size shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, nice-size lotion, a hairdryer, ironing board and iron, mini-fridge, and safe in the room. The bed was comfy, and the furnishings were lovely. I did notice that the housekeeping of the room tended to go down the longer I stayed, but also I forgot to leave a cash tip each day, so I'm not turned off by that. I was able to get cash and leave a tip when I left. Overall, I would definitely stay at The Graduate again and would even venture to call it my Madison home.
Hotel was in a great location. Beds were comfortable. Only complaint was the room temperature. Room was hot and no matter how low we turn the air it never cooled off. Was not impressed with the roof top restaurant.
great lobby, great location, good food, very close to State Street
When I made this reservation I reserved a suite. However, when I checked in, I was given a room that was not a suite. there was no work space or sitting area. The hotel had a musty smell. It was so bad that I checked out early. Great location and terrible facility. I would never stay here
Nice hotel, rooms are ok, ours had no view (looked at the side of another building (would expect for $290/night a view at least). Parking spots were very tight and we were charged $24 for 18 hours of parking (in at 6pm, checked out at noon the next day).
Very clean, comfortable, and well decorated....;.:):)::)):)::)):):):):):):)
Hotel highlights
- Walking distance to Chazen Museum of Art and Wisconsin State Capitol
- Free WiFi in rooms and public areas
- Onsite dining
- Free airport shuttle
Memorial Union Terrace is within a 5-minute walk of Graduate Madison while other popular sites like Kohl Center are within a 15-minute stroll. This 72-room, 3.5-star hotel welcomes guests with a restaurant, free in-room WiFi, and a free airport shuttle. It's in central Madison and also close to Wisconsin State Capitol and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dining
This hotel serves as home to a rooftop bar, along with a cafe that specializes in local cuisine. Get a pick-me-up at the coffee shop/café. Start your day off with breakfast, available for a fee.
Rooms
All 72 air-conditioned rooms provide iPod docks, refrigerators, and coffee makers. Guests can expect free WiFi and 42-inch TVs with cable channels. Beds are dressed in premium bedding and bathrooms offer hair dryers and free toiletries. Safes, phones, and ironing boards are also available.
Property features
At Graduate Madison, guests have access to a fitness center, a rooftop terrace, and free WiFi in public areas. Valet parking is USD 25.00 per day if you plan to drive, or hop aboard the free airport shuttle during limited hours. The front desk is staffed 24 hours a day to help with dry cleaning/laundry and luggage storage. Additional amenities include a 24-hour business center, a computer station, and express check-out.
Guest reviews for Graduate Madison
nice hotel, parking surprise
Everyone
Stayed at this hotel last year to attend the Madison film festival. Same reason for coming to Madison this year. Very nice hotel, but this year when we arrived, we were informed there was an additional signficant parking fee per vehicle which was not the case last year. Not saying it wasn't fair, except for the fact that I would have like to known about this ahead of time. Almost struck me as a kind of bait and switch. Everything else was great, but I really don't like surprises.
Everyone
A great boutique hotel, could perk up their cleaning!
Everyone
very good. My wife and me liked it, but furnace was rather loud.
winter
Everyone
Staff is very nice. Clean room and was able to adjust the temperature.
my experience
Everyone
No free parking, No Microwave in the room the Refrigerator isn't cold enough to keep your food fresh & the Coffe machine isn't working well ......my food went bad after one night stay.....
nice hotel close to campus
Everyone
Very cute hotel with a coffee shop and a rooftop. Nice rooms at a reasonable price. Great place to stay to be close to both UW-Madison campus and the shopping and restaurants of State Street.
pack ear plugs
Everyone
Very loud due to bar located directly above sleeping rooms.
Everyone
Hotel staff not accommodating. Rude. I am referring to the desk people on check out day. Housekeeping staff very nice. Room very small. Bed small. Should have at least a queen size bed.
location, location!
Everyone
First, the downside. This place can be crazy expensive. Rooms are comically tiny (not a problem for us, but they felt half the size of a standard room... and we were in the suite). Rooftop restaurant and lounge were closed, which was not communicated to us prior. Lots of (generally well-behaved and quiet) vagrants out the front door. But you simply cannot beat the location--a block from the lake, right on the edge of campus and the downtown mall area, and walking distance from the Capitol. You're two blocks from the Wisconsin Union (which is mindblowingly beautiful when the weather's nice and live music is going). The hotel is exceptionally well-decorated in the public area and rooms. We stayed in the Camp Wandawega suite, which was amazingly well done. If you want a place with character, this is it. The bunk bed nook was the quietest and coziest spot I've ever found in a hotel. Best parking option is about a block away, in the State Street Campus Garage, about $8 a day with hourly parking available. It's not for everyone, but we LOVED it.
parking terrible
Everyone
For the cost ($220/night) parking was simply unacceptable. Old crappy underground lot for SOME cars. Show up a bit later in the night, and you are told to drive 2 blocks to a City Parking Garage. They pay for it, but it was pouring rain so... Have valet parking for a hotel at that price point. And so easy to do... Then one (tiny) elevator wasn't working, and I got stuck in the other (tiny) elevator for 5 minutes before it went the other direction from my room and was then also out of service. And the kids at the front desk really didn't care much either way. Very disappointing for what should be a great experience on campus. And TINY exercise room to boot! This all on a summer night with nothing happening in town where maybe you would expect some chaos - can't imagine how they will do in football season...
