Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / United States / Kohler / The American Club
The American Club
Kohler, Wisconsin, United States · Destination Kohler · High Luxury
Walter J. Kohler built The American Club in 1918 as a Tudor Revival dormitory for immigrant Kohler Company workers, charging $27.50 a month for a private room, laundry, and three meals, plus English and citizenship classes. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, it closed that year and reopened in 1981 as a hotel under Herbert V. Kohler Jr., with restaurants in the old laundry, bowling alley, and dining hall. It anchors Destination Kohler beside Pete Dye's Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run.
- 241 rooms
- Opened 1981
- Rooms from 263 sq ft (24 m²)
- Architect: Richard Philipp
About The American Club
- Architect Richard Philipp designed the 1918 Tudor Revival clubhouse; it stands in the company village of Kohler, planned with landscape advice from Frederick Law Olmsted's firm.
- John Philip Sousa played the clubhouse in 1919 and 1925, while it still housed single immigrant factory workers.
- The Immigrant Restaurant occupies the former laundry, The Horse & Plow the bowling alley, and The Wisconsin Room the original dining hall.
- Herbert V. Kohler Jr. restored the National Register building after three consultants told him a hotel conversion would never work.
- The American Club was a Kohler Company dormitory for immigrant workers in 1918, then a resort from 1981 under Herbert V. Kohler Jr.
- Conde Nast Traveler has placed the resort on its Top 100 Golf Resorts list, and the American Club belongs to Historic Hotels of America.
History
The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin, was built in 1918, dedicated on June 23 of that year, and originally constructed by Walter J. Kohler to house single immigrant men working at the Kohler Company as part of an 'Americanization' mission. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, the same year it closed.
Under Herbert V. Kohler Jr., the building was restored between 1978 and 1981 and reopened as a hotel and resort in 1981. Restaurants occupy former industrial spaces: The Immigrant Restaurant & Winery in the old laundry, The Horse & Plow in the former bowling alley, and The Wisconsin Room in the original dining hall. It anchors Destination Kohler, home to the Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run golf courses.
The setting
2.4 miles from Memorial Mall Shopping Center.
Restaurants and bars
- The Horse & Plow — Restaurant · Gastropub
- The Immigrant Restaurant — Restaurant · Fine dining
- The Winery Bar — Bar · Wine bar
- The Wisconsin Room — Restaurant · Steak house
- The Greenhouse — Café · Coffee shop
Amenities
- Spa
- Pool
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Tennis
- Golf course
Awards
- AAA Four Diamond (2026)
- Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star (2026)
Open The American Club in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.