This place is conveniently located in union south food court. After lunch, I felt like having an ice cream. There were 6 flavors from Chocolate Shoppe and 6 flavors from Babcock. I went for 3 scoops from Babcock - Chocolate peanut butter, Caramel creek and Mocha macchiato. The were all good flavors. Chocolate Peanut Butter was my favorite though. From Babcock flavors, orange chocolate is the best flavor.
DrKahless
Very convenient for campus meetings. Rooms are modern and clean....walls z bit thing (or neighbours were noisy). Amenities on the main floor are lots of campus food...even a pub. Bed was comfy. Would likely stay here again if the opportunity arises.
Daniel S
The hotel had everything you would expect of a nice hotel. Clean rooms with modern amenities (including wall-mounted soap dispensers in the shower, which I always like to see rather than wasteful single-use mini shampoos). Keycards that worked properly with no fuss. Parking garage where all the barriers and readers worked with no fuss, and there was no trouble finding a spot. Fast WiFi. Beds not as comfortable as my own memory foam mattress, but for a hotel-issue innerspring, totally fine. The real standout for me was the front desk staff, especially Ken. There was a snafu in communication with the university department that was having me up for a visit weekend, and they didn't book a room for me (not the hotel's fault). Ken and his team got me into the last available room in the building and handled the communication with the university department, doing everything they could to make my stay the pleasant and productive one it turned out to be. I really appreciate how they went the extra mile; they truly care that their guests have a great experience. If you're looking to stay here, it's likely because you're affiliated with the university in some way, as a prospective student, parents of a student, visiting faculty etc. The location is fantastic, right in the heart of campus.
kevinlI2716SY
Professionals and Students working together. Room was clean and practical, with badger touches. Parking arrangements are the best I've had as a frequent guest of the Madison area. I was able to access a state of the art Recreational Facility at UW as well. I would recommend this property to anyone - Kevin
Ellen L
We had a king suite for an overnight when we drove up to Madison to snowshoe. I got an amazing package because I'm a lifetime member of the Wisconsin Union, but this would have been a good stay regardless. The hotel is comfortable and met all our needs, and free parking in an area where parking is pretty challenging makes it a great option. The food was good, too.
Sam Katerov
Simply delicious
G404HXrachelr
I always stay at The Union when I’m in Madison - gorgeous accommodations, wonderful service, and there’s no better location in MadCity! Nearly everything is an easy walk, so I don’t need to rent a car, and my lifetime Wisconsin Union Association membership guarantees affordable rates every time. There’s no better value, and there’s no better experience, in the Madison area!
M4603IDgeorges
John and Ken were great at the front desk! Thanks again John for helping with WIFI. The building had activities for my children - Bowling alley, several restaurants and rock climbing wall! I would recommend for anyone traveling to Madison.
Kate T
There are only 6 rooms at the Memorial Union and I have no idea how I got so lucky to snag one for SOAR orientation weekend! My daughter and I stayed together in a king suite (Room 3, I believe) and it was AWESOME! I do have to warn that it is not easy to check in or find. You must go to Union SOUTH to get your key then follow every direction to park and get up the room. It’s a bit tricky but the perfect room and view! I did not get any emails to confirm this stay… and don’t know why.
Jayadheer Taduvai
This place has improved quite a bit from the last years . They didn’t have my favorite flavors , but generally would recommend having the badger blast if it’s available . The praline pecan is also a really good flavor .
Whether you are first time visiting the UW-Madison or repeated visitors, enjoy scoops of the UW-Madison home-made ice cream is a must. There are three locations: Memorial Union, Union South, and Babcock Dairy Store at 1605 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706. Each place has different hours, so be sure you double check before heading over. All three locations carry popular flavors. At times they also offer "pilot" flavors. All flavors are decent with detailed description, pick what you like. Orange Custard Chocolate Chip is a unique flavor that you won't find elsewhere and has been around for more than 30 years. Good portion with reasonable price. Great quality ice cream. For example, someone I knew had three large scoops all at once one time, did not feel any discomfort from lactose intolerance. The staff were courteous and efficient. The store well organized. The Union South store is located on the first floor of Union South near the Information Desk and next to the Wisconsin Credit Union. Unlike some specialty ice cream stores, you are not able to get one scoop with 2-3 different flavors.
petraW7228LW
Below is a letter I wrote to the hotel staff to express my gratitude for our beyond awesome and supreme stay! I wanted to thank you all for the phenomenal stays my family has had recently at your incredible hotel! My husband and I have five children. The oldest just graduated from high school and started as a freshman at University of Wisconsin-Madison this fall. It has been quite a transition, but Wisconsin Union Hotel has become a hub of happiness and a home away from home for us! When we dropped our daughter off at college, we had the shock and pleasure of staying in one of the amazing suites on the Memorial Union property. The stay was unforgettable! We were amazed to find our suite overlooking the Terrace, and we were in awe of all of the stunning special touches in decor, tradition, and uniqueness. Spending the last night with our daughter in that suite will be one of our favorite memories! Since then, we had the pleasure of staying at the Union South property for a few special occasions. We were treated to staying there for a Badger football game, and wow, did that knock our socks off! To be right in the middle of the action with the band playing and the party inside made was as much fun as going to the football game! It was awesome! Most recently, our son's high school football team made it to State. So we again had the luxury and luck to stay at your hotel at Union South. I want to give a special shout out to Ken who was amazing helping with my complicated reservations! He was fantastic! He caught some errors I had made, and he did everything he could to make sure everything was right with the reservations and that I got exactly what my family needed. Additionally, the staff was all wonderful as I called several times to change reservations. The communication of the staff was EXCELLENT! I feel bad that the initial emails were going to my junk mailbox, but I did finally figure that out! I was so impressed with how helpful Ken and the staff were. I feared I was being annoying or bothersome, but Ken and the staff always was very patient with me and never made me feel that way. Instead, they made me feel as if it was a pleasure to be serving me. It was amazing bringing other family members together at your hotel for our son's State experience! It was so fun to watch their awe of the beautiful and spirited decor, the meticulously clean hotel, the kindness of the staff, and the excitement of the location and in the union. Parking, also, was a big plus! Everyone loved how accessible our hotel rooms from the parking ramp even! Also, the staff the night we checked in were incredible! (Ken, again! I know there was another man helping who was just as wonderful!) Our group had trouble with finding rides and had many questions and required quite a bit of help. It truly felt to us that the staff took on our problems with transportation and helped us like it was their own problem. They answered many questions, had wonderful recommendations, and they were on the phone calling taxis and whatnot to help us. We were so grateful for their help. They were patient and kind to us when we were frustrated and stressed. Again, their communication and knowledge were supreme! Thank you, everyone, for giving us a five (HUNDRED!!) star experience every time we come to town! Wisconsin Union Hotel takes the intimidating factor out of being in a different city for us. It is dependable, clean, exciting, beautiful, elegant, modern-yet-full-of-tradition, comfortable, fun, and, more, it feels like HOME. We thank you all of our stellar experiences staying with you! Your hotel is woven so beautifully into all of the fun and special memories we are making with our daughter at college, and our family loves this. You have completely raised the bar for our hotel stay expectations (at other places)! In a world that often seems like no one cares anymore, you make us feel so cared for!! Thank you for hitting it out of the ballpark!
Himadri G.
I was really excited to try ice cream from UW dairy school. The workers were nice, and there are two counters with exactly the same ice cream. Line goes fast, I feel like the price for one scoop ($2.75) is standard. I got the "exhausted parent" bourbon infused ice cream which gave me some coffee/toffee with chocolate chip vibes - but it was gooood. I got a cake cone to top it off at the end!
lsA7069FY
Good place to stay for campus visits. We always have a good time in Madison. Have now stayed here twice. However, this hotel is still a university-run facility, so don't expect a 5-star hotel. Pros: Reasonably priced for the location (but will skyrocket for events). Parking under Union South is included during your stay. Fridge and microwave in each room. About as close as you can get to Camp Randall if you are here for a football game. Loved the Tommy Bahama toiletries. Front desk staff was excellent. Guest floors and parking have secured access. Cons: The shower drain was partially clogged when we arrived and would have flooded the floor had we not been careful (there is no door or other closure for the shower). The drain also emitted a foul smell after showers. We stayed shortly after the hotel re-opened in June, so perhaps the necessary maintenance to get things up to par had not been completed? Room was also quite dusty. Several towels came with human hair on them (not ours). Fitness room, which was closed for most of our stay (but apparently staff thought it had been opened) is small, with a treadmill, an elliptical, and a set of dumbbells up to 25 lbs. When we visited, there was no bench in the fitness room for use with the weights. Since this is a university property, you are stuck with "Tork" brand quarter-ply toilet paper. Had to hold the handle down for a while to get toilet to flush. The overall design is nice, but as a Badger, I wish they would have used a bright cardinal red (and made the decor brighter and more fun and uplifting) rather than subdued, and perhaps added other "Badger" design inspiration. Overall good hotel, but could be better.
Runa Clc (Runa)
This is the ice cream shop in union south. These 2 wonderful employees served us. The scoop sizes are LARGE:) They had a couple very unique flavors. Definitely a place to visit often!
This place is conveniently located in union south food court. After lunch, I felt like having an ice cream. There were 6 flavors from Chocolate Shoppe and 6 flavors from Babcock. I went for 3 scoops from Babcock - Chocolate peanut butter, Caramel creek and Mocha macchiato. The were all good flavors. Chocolate Peanut Butter was my favorite though. From Babcock flavors, orange chocolate is the best flavor.
Very convenient for campus meetings. Rooms are modern and clean....walls z bit thing (or neighbours were noisy). Amenities on the main floor are lots of campus food...even a pub. Bed was comfy. Would likely stay here again if the opportunity arises.
The hotel had everything you would expect of a nice hotel. Clean rooms with modern amenities (including wall-mounted soap dispensers in the shower, which I always like to see rather than wasteful single-use mini shampoos). Keycards that worked properly with no fuss. Parking garage where all the barriers and readers worked with no fuss, and there was no trouble finding a spot. Fast WiFi. Beds not as comfortable as my own memory foam mattress, but for a hotel-issue innerspring, totally fine. The real standout for me was the front desk staff, especially Ken. There was a snafu in communication with the university department that was having me up for a visit weekend, and they didn't book a room for me (not the hotel's fault). Ken and his team got me into the last available room in the building and handled the communication with the university department, doing everything they could to make my stay the pleasant and productive one it turned out to be. I really appreciate how they went the extra mile; they truly care that their guests have a great experience. If you're looking to stay here, it's likely because you're affiliated with the university in some way, as a prospective student, parents of a student, visiting faculty etc. The location is fantastic, right in the heart of campus.
Professionals and Students working together. Room was clean and practical, with badger touches. Parking arrangements are the best I've had as a frequent guest of the Madison area. I was able to access a state of the art Recreational Facility at UW as well. I would recommend this property to anyone - Kevin
We had a king suite for an overnight when we drove up to Madison to snowshoe. I got an amazing package because I'm a lifetime member of the Wisconsin Union, but this would have been a good stay regardless. The hotel is comfortable and met all our needs, and free parking in an area where parking is pretty challenging makes it a great option. The food was good, too.
Simply delicious
I always stay at The Union when I’m in Madison - gorgeous accommodations, wonderful service, and there’s no better location in MadCity! Nearly everything is an easy walk, so I don’t need to rent a car, and my lifetime Wisconsin Union Association membership guarantees affordable rates every time. There’s no better value, and there’s no better experience, in the Madison area!
John and Ken were great at the front desk! Thanks again John for helping with WIFI. The building had activities for my children - Bowling alley, several restaurants and rock climbing wall! I would recommend for anyone traveling to Madison.
There are only 6 rooms at the Memorial Union and I have no idea how I got so lucky to snag one for SOAR orientation weekend! My daughter and I stayed together in a king suite (Room 3, I believe) and it was AWESOME! I do have to warn that it is not easy to check in or find. You must go to Union SOUTH to get your key then follow every direction to park and get up the room. It’s a bit tricky but the perfect room and view! I did not get any emails to confirm this stay… and don’t know why.
This place has improved quite a bit from the last years . They didn’t have my favorite flavors , but generally would recommend having the badger blast if it’s available . The praline pecan is also a really good flavor .
Restaurantji Recommends
Whether you are first time visiting the UW-Madison or repeated visitors, enjoy scoops of the UW-Madison home-made ice cream is a must. There are three locations: Memorial Union, Union South, and Babcock Dairy Store at 1605 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706. Each place has different hours, so be sure you double check before heading over. All three locations carry popular flavors. At times they also offer "pilot" flavors. All flavors are decent with detailed description, pick what you like. Orange Custard Chocolate Chip is a unique flavor that you won't find elsewhere and has been around for more than 30 years. Good portion with reasonable price. Great quality ice cream. For example, someone I knew had three large scoops all at once one time, did not feel any discomfort from lactose intolerance. The staff were courteous and efficient. The store well organized. The Union South store is located on the first floor of Union South near the Information Desk and next to the Wisconsin Credit Union. Unlike some specialty ice cream stores, you are not able to get one scoop with 2-3 different flavors.
Below is a letter I wrote to the hotel staff to express my gratitude for our beyond awesome and supreme stay! I wanted to thank you all for the phenomenal stays my family has had recently at your incredible hotel! My husband and I have five children. The oldest just graduated from high school and started as a freshman at University of Wisconsin-Madison this fall. It has been quite a transition, but Wisconsin Union Hotel has become a hub of happiness and a home away from home for us! When we dropped our daughter off at college, we had the shock and pleasure of staying in one of the amazing suites on the Memorial Union property. The stay was unforgettable! We were amazed to find our suite overlooking the Terrace, and we were in awe of all of the stunning special touches in decor, tradition, and uniqueness. Spending the last night with our daughter in that suite will be one of our favorite memories! Since then, we had the pleasure of staying at the Union South property for a few special occasions. We were treated to staying there for a Badger football game, and wow, did that knock our socks off! To be right in the middle of the action with the band playing and the party inside made was as much fun as going to the football game! It was awesome! Most recently, our son's high school football team made it to State. So we again had the luxury and luck to stay at your hotel at Union South. I want to give a special shout out to Ken who was amazing helping with my complicated reservations! He was fantastic! He caught some errors I had made, and he did everything he could to make sure everything was right with the reservations and that I got exactly what my family needed. Additionally, the staff was all wonderful as I called several times to change reservations. The communication of the staff was EXCELLENT! I feel bad that the initial emails were going to my junk mailbox, but I did finally figure that out! I was so impressed with how helpful Ken and the staff were. I feared I was being annoying or bothersome, but Ken and the staff always was very patient with me and never made me feel that way. Instead, they made me feel as if it was a pleasure to be serving me. It was amazing bringing other family members together at your hotel for our son's State experience! It was so fun to watch their awe of the beautiful and spirited decor, the meticulously clean hotel, the kindness of the staff, and the excitement of the location and in the union. Parking, also, was a big plus! Everyone loved how accessible our hotel rooms from the parking ramp even! Also, the staff the night we checked in were incredible! (Ken, again! I know there was another man helping who was just as wonderful!) Our group had trouble with finding rides and had many questions and required quite a bit of help. It truly felt to us that the staff took on our problems with transportation and helped us like it was their own problem. They answered many questions, had wonderful recommendations, and they were on the phone calling taxis and whatnot to help us. We were so grateful for their help. They were patient and kind to us when we were frustrated and stressed. Again, their communication and knowledge were supreme! Thank you, everyone, for giving us a five (HUNDRED!!) star experience every time we come to town! Wisconsin Union Hotel takes the intimidating factor out of being in a different city for us. It is dependable, clean, exciting, beautiful, elegant, modern-yet-full-of-tradition, comfortable, fun, and, more, it feels like HOME. We thank you all of our stellar experiences staying with you! Your hotel is woven so beautifully into all of the fun and special memories we are making with our daughter at college, and our family loves this. You have completely raised the bar for our hotel stay expectations (at other places)! In a world that often seems like no one cares anymore, you make us feel so cared for!! Thank you for hitting it out of the ballpark!
I was really excited to try ice cream from UW dairy school. The workers were nice, and there are two counters with exactly the same ice cream. Line goes fast, I feel like the price for one scoop ($2.75) is standard. I got the "exhausted parent" bourbon infused ice cream which gave me some coffee/toffee with chocolate chip vibes - but it was gooood. I got a cake cone to top it off at the end!
Good place to stay for campus visits. We always have a good time in Madison. Have now stayed here twice. However, this hotel is still a university-run facility, so don't expect a 5-star hotel. Pros: Reasonably priced for the location (but will skyrocket for events). Parking under Union South is included during your stay. Fridge and microwave in each room. About as close as you can get to Camp Randall if you are here for a football game. Loved the Tommy Bahama toiletries. Front desk staff was excellent. Guest floors and parking have secured access. Cons: The shower drain was partially clogged when we arrived and would have flooded the floor had we not been careful (there is no door or other closure for the shower). The drain also emitted a foul smell after showers. We stayed shortly after the hotel re-opened in June, so perhaps the necessary maintenance to get things up to par had not been completed? Room was also quite dusty. Several towels came with human hair on them (not ours). Fitness room, which was closed for most of our stay (but apparently staff thought it had been opened) is small, with a treadmill, an elliptical, and a set of dumbbells up to 25 lbs. When we visited, there was no bench in the fitness room for use with the weights. Since this is a university property, you are stuck with "Tork" brand quarter-ply toilet paper. Had to hold the handle down for a while to get toilet to flush. The overall design is nice, but as a Badger, I wish they would have used a bright cardinal red (and made the decor brighter and more fun and uplifting) rather than subdued, and perhaps added other "Badger" design inspiration. Overall good hotel, but could be better.
This is the ice cream shop in union south. These 2 wonderful employees served us. The scoop sizes are LARGE:) They had a couple very unique flavors. Definitely a place to visit often!