This Wisconsin Hotel Suite Conjures the Best of Summer Camp—Hold the Bug Spray

In collaboration with children's brand Land of Nod and "adult summer camp" Camp Wandawega, Graduate Hotels introduces a new suite that will have visitors singing Kumbaya.

Text by

Heather Corcoran

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As summertime slips away, it's tempting to try to eke out one last taste of the season. Visitors to the Graduate Hotel Madison in the Wisconsin capital will be able to keep the campfire vibes alive all year long with a family-friendly new suite designed in collaboration with Camp Wandawega and children's brand Land of Nod.

The media room features custom-designed bunks with Camp Wandawega for Land of Nod bedding. The mural recalls paint-by-number landscapes.

The idea for the custom room comes from Camp Wandawega's line for Land of Nod, which celebrates the whimsical vintage aesthetic of the retreat. A former Prohibition speakeasy once called "a disgrace to the great state of Wisconsin," Wandawega has come a long way over the years—the 91-year-old camp site is now a boutique lakeside getaway celebrating the simple pleasures of the great outdoors.

Kitschy references to camp culture, like this warning from Smokey the Bear, can be found throughout the space, but its amenities are all grown up, including Malin + Goetz toiletries. — Kitschy references to camp culture, like this warning from Smokey the Bear, can be found throughout the space, but its amenities are all grown up, including Malin + Goetz toiletries.

Meant to reference the "quaint essence" of the city, the project looks back to midcentury Americana with plenty of references to scouting and camping culture strewn throughout the space.

Art and games throughout the space invoke camp memories. Much of the art and accessories, like the photographs above, come from the Camp Wandawega Land of Nod collaboration.

Those details are key to the success of the playful design, says Camp Wandawega's Tereasa Surratt. "When the Graduate team invited us to partner, we jumped at the chance to tell our story in the Madison space. Their design team loves details as much as we do at Camp, so it was a blast telling our story through artifacts and decor."

The carefully organized workstation is a nod to scoutmaster rooms, complete with a traditional office chair, antique Adirondack desk, and antique troop leader's hat.

Should you find yourself in Madison longing to relive past summers, head to the Graduate. Just make sure to call dibs on the top bunk first—and leave the bug spray at home.

The Graduate Madison is located at 601 Langdon Street, Madison, Wisconsin.