Hotels near Madison Airport (MSN) with a free airport shuttle

Holiday Inn Madison at The American Center

A full-service Holiday Inn in the American Center business park on Madison's far east side, and the closest thing here to a classic airport hotel. Its shuttle keeps the longest day of any east-side property on this list, 6 in the morning to 11 at night, which covers most MSN departures and arrivals. Geier's Grill serves breakfast and dinner and Chief's Bar is open evenings, useful when you land late and would rather not drive anywhere, and there is an indoor pool, a fitness center and free parking with room for buses and RVs. The catch is breakfast: it costs extra here, unlike at most of the limited-service hotels nearby.

Cambria Hotel Madison East

An upscale Choice-brand hotel in the American Center park, a few minutes from the airport and across the interstate from East Towne Mall. Rooms are suite-style with a microwave, fridge and sofa sleeper, and the on-site restaurant Reflect covers breakfast and dinner; there is an indoor pool plus a children's pool, and outdoor parking is free. The shuttle is the thing to check before booking: it is free but runs only 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon, so an early departure or an evening arrival will not be covered. Destination Madison's listing notes the same shuttle also serves destinations within about three miles.

La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Madison American Center

The budget option among the hotels genuinely close to MSN, sitting in the same American Center business park as the Holiday Inn and the Cambria, right off I-90/94. Breakfast and parking are both included, and there is an indoor pool and hot tub, so the running cost of a night here is lower than anything downtown. The shuttle runs a reasonable 8am to 10pm window but is subject to availability, so call ahead rather than assume. Guests consistently note there is very little within walking distance: the hotel is ringed by highway interchanges, so plan on delivery or a drive for dinner.

The Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor's Club

An independent downtown hotel a block off Capitol Square, and the pick for anyone with a very early flight: its shuttle starts at 4:30 in the morning, hours before any other hotel here, and runs to 10:30 at night on the hour and half-hour. You are trading airport proximity for a walkable location next to State Street and the Capitol, plus an indoor pool and the CIRC restaurant downstairs. Parking is in an underground ramp at $20 a night, and breakfast costs extra. Note the ramp's 6-foot clearance if you are driving something tall.

Best Western Premier Park Hotel

The only hotel directly on Capitol Square, which makes it the most central base on this list and a short walk to State Street restaurants. It runs a free MSN shuttle from 7:30am to 10:30pm and keeps an indoor pool, a fitness center and The Post restaurant and bar off the lobby. Parking is valet only at $30 a day, the steepest here, and breakfast is a paid cooked-to-order affair. Pets are not accepted.

DoubleTree by Hilton Madison Downtown

A large downtown Hilton property between the Capitol and the UW campus, within a few blocks of State Street, the Kohl Center and the Orpheum. The free airport shuttle runs 7am to 10pm on request, so it suits mid-day flights rather than dawn departures. There is a 24-hour fitness center and an on-site restaurant, but no pool listed among its amenities, and both breakfast and the covered self parking ($25 a night) are extra. Pets are not accepted.

Hilton Madison Monona Terrace

Connected by skywalk to the Monona Terrace convention center and sitting between the Capitol and Lake Monona, this is the most central of the downtown options and a short walk to State Street. Hilton lists the airport shuttle as complimentary but based on availability, with no published hours, so confirm with the front desk before counting on it for a specific flight. Inside there is an indoor pool, an executive lounge and a restaurant; breakfast is charged, and secured covered parking runs $28 a day with limited spaces. Pets are welcome for a fee.

Hotel Indigo Madison Downtown

A boutique IHG hotel on the East Washington corridor, closer to the airport than the Capitol Square hotels and next to Breese Stevens Field. Its complimentary shuttle covers a three-mile radius as well as the airport, running 7am to 10pm every day, which means it doubles as a free ride downtown during your stay. There is a restaurant on site, but breakfast is charged and the covered garage is $20 a night. Pets are accepted with a fee and a deposit.

The Edgewater

The splurge on this list: a historic lakefront hotel on Lake Mendota with a spa, a rooftop terrace and a public plaza that turns into an ice rink in winter. It runs a free airport shuttle from 7am to 10pm on request, plus a free shuttle anywhere within two miles, so you can skip a rental car entirely if you are staying downtown. Parking is $32 a night for self parking or $38 for valet, breakfast is charged, and rates sit well above everything else here. Worth it if the lake view is part of the trip, hard to justify if you just need a bed near a 6am flight.

Madison Marriott South

The former Sheraton Madison, rebranded and renovated as a Marriott, on John Nolen Drive between Lake Monona and the Alliant Energy Center. Marriott describes its complimentary shuttle as covering the city generally as well as the Dane County airport, but publishes no hours, so confirm the schedule before relying on it for an early flight. Parking is free, which is unusual for a hotel this close to downtown, and there is an indoor pool, a lobby bar called The HUB and a restaurant on site. Breakfast is charged, and pets are not accepted.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Madison Central

The best value in this set if you want everything included: free hot breakfast, free parking and a free airport shuttle from 7am to 10pm, plus a free local shuttle within three miles that reaches Epic, Exact Sciences and the UW hospitals. It is walking distance to the Alliant Energy Center, which makes it a common pick for events there, and it has an indoor saltwater pool and a 24-hour fitness center. The trade-off is distance: it is the longest drive to MSN on this list, so leave extra time and book the shuttle ahead. No pets.