Retlaw Hotel Bar

Over the years, the Retlaw Hotel has welcomed famous visitors, including Al Capone, John Dillinger, John F. Kennedy, Alice Cooper, Paul Newman, Gene Autry, Eleanor Roosevelt and Jack Dempsey. 

Built in 1923 by famous Milwaukee hotelier Walter Schroeder (1878-1967) as part of a regional luxury hotel chain, the 265-room Retlaw (Walter spelled backwards) was designed by Herbert and Martin Tullgren. Schroeder's ghost is reported to haunt its halls.

After Prohibition ended, a grand Art Deco bar was added in the hotel lobby in 1933. The "Retlaw Bar" became the Lantern Lounge in 1960, accompanied by the El Cid Supper Club in its dining room.

In 1964, The Aphrodisia Lounge, somewhat of a cabaret / dance club combo, opened in this space. For the next seven years, the venture sought to attract "swingin' crowds" with psychedelic lighting, strong drinks, and live music. The owners (Al and Nick Frank) reportedly chose the name to honor their Greek heritage, but the choice was intentional: the Aphrodisia was long known as a prime pick-up joint.

But the Retlaw was long past its prime, and its owners were really struggling to keep the lights on. On September 30, 1971, the Aphrodisia closed for good. The Motor Inn was out, the Hotel Bar was out, and the City of Fond Du Lac Senior Center was in -- at least for the next few years.

"Walter Schroeder would turn over in his grave to hear this news," wrote reporter Sue Julka.

"It broke my heart," said Art Noble, considered the last professional bartender in Fond du Lac, who worked here for 36 years. "For decades, I saw burlesque girls, bellydancers, and a score of others, each bringing a little bit of their mystical world to the corner of Division and Main. That's all gone now."

The building (and its 208 remaining rooms) were sold to a Milwaukee investment firm in October 1971. In 1976, a $3M renovation unsuccessfully tried to restore the hotel's grandeur. For the next forty years, the once-classic hotel was in constant danger of demolition.

In 2018, an ambitious $25M restoration led by Kahler Slater and Legendary Hotels transformed the Retlaw into a Wyndham Trademark Collection property. Today, the centenarian hotel (now updated to 108 elegant rooms) is grander than its ever been, although its queer heritage remains widely mysterious and unknown.