The Ultimate Tailgate Party Spot

Father’s Day may have come and (long) gone, but there’s nothing better than multigenerational bonding over a rousing football game, along with pre- and post-game fun. In light of this national pastime, hotels and restaurants all over the United States are geared up with a “sports bar” area drawing in countless clusters of dads, brothers, grandfathers and, nowadays, football wives, daughters and girlfriends.

However, there’s nothing quite like Lodge Kohler, located in the backyard of historic Lambeau Field — a veritable Shangri-La for loyal Green Bay Packers fans and seasoned football history buffs from around the nation. While the stadium (along with the fascinating Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame museum and expansive “pro shop”) is a touchdown’s throw from Lodge Kohler’s front doors, the contemporary glass and brick structure itself is the ultimate year-round clubhouse designed to make any guest feel like an MVP.

Lodge Kohler Lobby © Kohler Co.

Lodge Kohler is awash in rich forest green hues, not only paying tribute to Green Bay’s local heroes, but also the year-round outdoorsy lifestyle of the region. While the woodsy color palate can look dated in some hotel settings, the interior designers who brought the property’s unique concept to life in 2017 managed to make it fresh, lively and luxurious enough to appeal to women as well. The 134 rooms and 10 suites have a plush, timeless feel, as well as fabulous bedding. Desk and library elements in each room (including beautiful coffee table books covering the respective histories of the Green Bay region and the Packers) add extra home-y touches. And as one would expect with a hotel tailored for sports fans, the fitness room adjacent to the spa and pool has good equipment.

Lodge Kohler Hydromassage Experience Pool © Kohler Co.

Packers game-day tickets are famously hard to come by, thanks in part to the locals’ all-in dedication to the team. However, Lodge Kohler’s curated packages make an immersive football experience possible (when booked well in advance, of course). They include The Packers Sideline Experience (includes passes to the Green Bay Packers Training Camp and a one-night stay and meals at the lodge’s restaurants), The Packers Home Game Package (a two-night extravaganza with tickets to a Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field, meals and discounted spa services), Packers Preseason Game Package (tickets to a pre-season game with meals and discounted spa services), and the Explore Lambeau package combining meals with a tour of Lambeau Field off season.

Kohler Taverne Sky © Kohler Co.

Taverne in the Sky, the hotel’s panoramic fine dining venue, serves traditional steakhouse-style main courses, appetizers with subtle global touches and a modern cocktail bar with some libations integrating Kohler-branded dark chocolate brandy. While the signature restaurant is best suited for adults traveling with older relatives, the lobby-level Leaps & Bounds café has more all-ages appeal with its excellent breakfast dishes. If younger children and teens are part of the group, the reliable Hinterland Brewery is just across a parking lot from the front door. The food menu is packed with crowd pleasers, including a superb Sunday fried chicken special, excellent burgers and salads and its take on fried cheese curds (an only-in-Wisconsin treat).

Lodge Kohler Bathroom © Kohler Co.

Kohler bathroom and bar sink fixtures as well as the tubs in the KOHLER Waters SPA (including the Hydromassage Experience Pool, accessible to guests for an extra charge or free with purchase of spa treatments) infuse a 21^st-century sensibility into the hotel’s luxury lodge setting. Upon check-in, one of the hotel managers on duty confided the property was also the ultimate working showroom for the brand, and the water fixtures on property would inspire some homeowners to upgrade their bathrooms and kitchens.

Lodge Kohler Spa © Kohler Co.

Guests inspired to do a makeover on the family home can shop for even more ideas with a visit to the Kohler Design Center, the company’s historical museum and showroom an hour’s drive from the hotel. While the family do-it-yourselfer takes note of Kohler’s kitchen, bath and power product innovations, kids and grandparents can occupy themselves by checking out the company’s original products from the 1800s and learning the history of the Kohler family.