The repression economy hit the former owners hard, and the facility was put up for sale in February of 2011. Here’s where things got interesting when the Hotel Mead was taken over by a local financial institution that was intent on insuring that this prestigious and upscale, 5-story atrium hotel would continue on as a major attraction for the community. The initial transition was reported to be very difficult because the new owners knew nothing about hotel management and they were poorly served by private consultants they employed to manage operations. With true American pluck the new owner bank decided they could do better, and with the help and encouragement of the staff and community, they have taken on the management responsibility themselves vowing to insure that the Hotel Mead’s excellent reputation would be maintained and even enhanced with the implementation of new services and expanded facilities.

We read about this transition in the newspaper, and were incredulous that Central Wisconsin’s premier hotel was so adversely affected by the economy. We were also disbelieving, as some internet reports suggested, that things had gone downhill. We knew that this had been the best facility in the area, offering very pleasing amenities, beautifully appointed rooms, a lovely dining experience, magnificent pool and fitness facility, large garden gazebo, and tons of meeting space. We knew all this because our family held a wedding reception there just 10 years ago, and my professional association had held a convention there that drew rave reviews from my colleagues from all across the state. We had also often dined there in the Café Mulino—always a pleasure.

We decided to see for ourselves whether the community had succeeded in their mission to keep things going in the high fashion of its heritage by attending a New Year’s celebration that included a king suite, a bottle of champagne, great entertainment from a western-style band, dinner and brunch the next morning all in a package deal. We knew everything would be fine when we entered the magnificent atrium lounge and saw the lovely Christmas lights and decorations. It all looked brand new, and our room was wonderfully spacious with fine cabinetry, even 2 sink areas as you might find in the best urban hotel. It was nice to have a suite with the separate sitting area. A fluffy pile of pillows on the bed gave us just the touch of luxury we were hoping for. The champagne arrived almost mysteriously in a bucket of ice. It was all just perfect.

There was a glitch with the billing that initially overstated the package “deal” a bit, but we followed up on that, and the management re-stated the bill correctly. It was explained that their new billing system was having trouble handling special occasion packages. We were pleased with the personal follow-up handling of this matter by the hotel’s general manager (also an officer at the local owner bank). We had a nice conversation. There is something quite nice about being able to talk with a local person in charge without having to go through layers of policy promulgated by a headquarters located in a faraway city. Indeed, all of the personnel were polite and personable. Even just passing in the hallway, a staff member would ask if everything was OK or simply thank us for our patronage.

So we got the answer to our question about whether the Hotel Mead was still at the top of their game. All was very well, and we are glad to see that the hotel is in such good hands. I’ll be telling all my conferencing friends to make a return visit, and we’ll schedule some family events there. And us? Valentine’s Day is coming up—sounds like a plan!

I was born and raised in Rapids, moved away 20 yrs. ago and have stayed here EVERY time we come back to visit family. In fact, many years ago I worked in this hotel. It was always the premier place to stay in town, host a wedding or event, or go for a special dinner occasion. It has declined dramatically just in the last year or two. We asked for a west wing suite knowing there was an extra separate sitting room with sofa bed and TV for our grandson. But, NO TV. I don't understand the logic behind removing this TV from the room. Who sits on a sofa to stare at a blank wall? Why was it taken out? The air unit was SO LOUD, it kicked in to blow out arctic air that froze us, then turned off and the room was hot and stuffy. I finally turned it off entirely at 4:00 a.m. to get a couple hours sleep. My son and wife had the same experience in their room. The bed mattress was old, soft, and very low to the floor making for a sore back in the morning. Not the Mead's usual standard. The bathroom was not cleaned well and one of the glasses was dirty. One of the two restaurants was permanently closed down. The usual great meal at Cafe Mulino was a huge disappointment. There was only one other party there besides my family so there should have been excellent service and food. Salad had been pre-dressed so lettuce was all wilted. Pizza was still good but my pasta dish was average at best, pasta was dried out like it also had been plated and left standing. Pool water was cloudy and we were told we had to leave at 11 p.m. - even though we were drying off and putting on our shoes, obviously leaving on our own. Hotel Mead has for 20 years been our home away from home for regular visits back to see family and I know our next trip will mean finding another place to stay. This is a huge disappointment.

My friend was getting married in this one horse town, and I asked him where to stay, he said, "The Mead is nice." So i booked it. What a mistake, they quoted me for a room at one price get there and the bill is almost double what I paid. Whatever, I get to the room, the TV is old and the bed sheets are rough and look like they haven't been updated since the 70s. i think for damn near $200 a night at a "nice" hotel in a small town i would get a breakfast included right? Wrong. They charge me for that. Screw this place.

Overall the hotel was just fine for the price. Nothing special, nothing atrocious. The only thing below average was the food.