The Blackstone, Autograph Collection

Hosting your wedding at the Blackstone Hotel is quite literally a dream come true. When we did our first walk-through, I knew immediately that I had to have my reception in the beautiful Crystal Ballroom. The old-world charm of the hotel, mixed with contemporary art and fixtures, is just the perfect scene for any wedding or event! The service throughout the hotel the weekend of our wedding was spectacular. Working closely with Carly was amazing, and she did a great job helping bring our vision to life. She was always reachable via email or phone. And in the weeks leading up to our wedding, she was in constant contact, which was so refreshing and relieving. Everything went smoothly on the day of the event and was exactly how we pictured it! The attention to detail was impeccable, the food was to die for, the drinks were delicious and flowing, and the atmosphere was buzzing! Furthermore, The hotel rooms were beautiful, modern, and immaculate. The bridal suite we chose, the presidential suite, was absolutely out of this world and was the perfect backdrop for "getting ready" photos. Also, there are so many unique spots for photographs inside the hotel, and we were able to utilize the various spaces for pictures at different times throughout the day! I can't say enough good things about the Blackstone. It was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime fairy tale wedding, and I will cherish the memories forever!

This venue is UNREAL--- every single person told us how amazing the location, how beautiful it was, and how comfy the beds were. But for us, it was so much more. Starting with the service of the best wedding cordinator there ever was. She helped us with every single detail, was super professional, patient when we had updates and made sure our day was literally perfect. The servers (food and bartenders) were also 10/10 oh and the bell HOPS! Amazing!! The venue has this old bones with modern touches. One thing we were worried about was the food, because we signed the contract before we tried the food. WELP! Worried for nothing, the food was amazing. The bridal suite and suite for the groomsmen were a total dream! Super spacious!! Anyway, I would pick them in every lifetime. There were no issues, they were on the timeline, and it was a perfect day!!

Carly and the team at the Blackstone helped us create a beautiful wedding. From planning to the the day of, everything went smoothly and the event space is gorgeous!!

The Blackstone is a PERFECT wedding venue. My husband and I got married in June of 2022 - the staff here is unmatched. Extremely attentive not only to us but also to all of our guests. Everyone was raving about them. Also, Tammy Jordan is THE BEST. She was absolutely amazing to work with through the whole process. 100% recommend.

My wife and I recently had our wedding at the Blackstone, and I can't heap enough praise on Sarah Morris for partnering with us on our special day. She was extremely proactive, professional, knowledgeable, and all around FUN to work with. 11/10 for the hotel and for Sarah's partnership!

Incredible venue! We got married on 11.23.19 and from top to bottom it is the best place to get married in Chicago, especially if you're doing it in a cold month. Kelly Smith was great to work with and took care of all of our needs. This ballroom is by far one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful ballroom I've ever stood in in my life. And when decorated even a little...just wow gives you goosebumps. Food was great too! All the guests had a blast and half of them stayed in the rooms overnight, which are also amazing especially the suites. Wouldn't have changed a thing. Epic day, epic venue. Highly recommend.

We got married Feb 29 2020 and the Blackstone was my dream venue! It was perfect and I would not change a thing. They made everything so easy and smooth. The venue itself is BEAUTIFUL!

We are so happy we chose to have our wedding at the Blackstone. There are so many options downtown, and this is such a hidden gem in Chicago! We didn't think we'd be the "ballroom" type people, but the Blackstone has it all and does it all. I wasn't sure where to begin with outside caterers and vendors, and the Blackstone includes everything, even the cake! It was also one of the more affordable venues we looked at. It's awesome that it is a historical and elegant hotel, the ballroom is so gorgeous. We had more than half our guests coming from out of town, so the location is ideal and having it at a hotel makes it so easy. We mainly worked with Kelly Smith. She is extremely professional, but also made us feel like we were friends, which made the whole wedding planning way less stressful. She answered all of my emails and questions quickly and helped so much with the day of coordination receiving vendors and setting up the decor. We didn't need much decor since the ballroom is so pretty on its own. All of the staff that we worked with were excellent, they always found me to fill my wine glass and wouldn't clear our places until we said we were done (we were up and about chatting and taking photos) which I thought was so kind. We got so many compliments from our guests about how great our wedding was! We wouldn't change a thing and can't recommend the Blackstone enough!

The Blackstone is a phenomenal venue, and a hidden gem in Chicago! My husband found the venue, I checked it out, and within days our wedding was booked. Besides being a historical, classy, elegant, and chic hotel, the ballroom is absolutely stunning and whimsical, and the room holds so much beauty that minimal décor is needed. The central location downtown can’t be beat. The venue also includes dinner/drinks, cake, and of course a hotel block. We planned our wedding out of town, but the Blackstone made it so easy. They were extremely professional and timely in communications. All of the staff that we worked with were excellent. We are still hearing about how beautiful our wedding was! We would recommend the Blackstone to anyone!

Historically modern venue with exemplary service and staff. Seriously, this hotel sets the bar when it comes to luxury and service. I've never before felt so taken care of at a hotel than when we had our wedding at The Blackstone. The ballroom speaks for itself with its stunning views and original early 1900's decor. This is where modern meets historical elegance. The Art Hall was used for cocktail hour and some of the side rooms were left open where guests could enjoy the different ambiance that the hotel had to offer. The rooms are fantastic but once you're upgraded to the honeymoon suite, they are breathtaking. The Historical Suite is as it would be when the hotel was run in the early 1900's. The Heaven Suite is a modern version of the same suite only that is on the top floor. Absolutely beautiful. The service staff was fantastic. Through our planning phase, we had to go to Chicago a handful of times and we stayed there. The staff was consistently above reproach when it came to customer service. The valet, the room service, the front desk... Everyone was top notch. Planning was made so much easier by our event manager Kelly. She was more than amazing and I can't imagine having to plan this wedding without her expertise. We originally were planning this with a different event manager but she ended up moving to another job and Kelly had to pick up the reins and go. She did just that. The transition was seamless as she answered every call and email like it was her only responsibility. Being that neither my wife and I had planned a wedding before, we were able to look to her for assistance on many topics. If we ever had any questions, she either knew the answer or looked into it and got back to us. There were many things that we were able to negotiate with her. Both her and the hotel were very flexible and that made it quite easy for us to keep forward momentum when planning this event. Kelly kept us informed when tasks were completed or if she needed something from us. She also kept all of our information organized so that when we wanted to see where we were at, she just sent over an excel spreadsheet and everything was easy to understand. When it came to the few days before, she was already juggling two other weddings besides ours, but took the time to coordinate with us and our vendors that would be coming to set up in a few days. She took the time to deal with the finer details and logistics so that my wife and I didn't have to. The day of our wedding, Kelly was there hours before the event continuing to coordinate with our vendors and with us to ensure that everything was ready. She was there setting up the ballroom for the ceremony, the change over during cocktail hour helping the florist set up tables with flowers and place cards. I walked in before dinner to see how things were going and she was personally arranging the place cards for the tables at dinner. I'm not entirely sure what the scope of her position is but I'm pretty sure it doesn't involve setting up the place cards. She was basically our wedding planner. I can't say enough good things about her or the service which she provided us. Everything was spectacular. She stayed pretty late too and made sure everything was just right. To The Blackstone staff, Kelly and Management: We wanted to say thank you for everything. We received nothing but compliments from everyone during the entire event. You guys made our wedding perfect. Thank you so much.

The Blackstone is a elegant, classic location in Chicago with exceptional service and attention to detail. Ellie Lowe was our wedding coordinator and was organized, and responsive. She had made sure that our day was beyond perfect! The Blackstone had made both of our families and guest feel welcomed. In addition to the exceptional service the food and beverages were 5 star. Over all we had an amazing experience and would highly recommend The Blackstone.

Amazing! Unforgettable! Elegant! Gorgeous! Oh, what a night! We chose the Blackstone Hotel as the venue for our daughter’s 1920’s inspired wedding after visiting numerous vintage ballrooms in Chicago. Our guests enjoyed spending time in the vintage Lobby, the grand Art Hall, and the majestic Crystal Ballroom. We were so impressed with the professionalism of the staff at the Blackstone and the friendly, resourceful attention we received from catering sales manager, Jessica Plundo, who assisted us with every important planning detail. Jessica was so welcoming and enthusiastic about the wedding. She was quick to answer all of our questions and went out of her way to accommodate our busy schedules and requests. The bride and groom stayed in the luxurious “Smoke-filled Room” an historic multi-roomed suite in the hotel. What a treat! If you are considering planning a downtown Chicago wedding, visit the Blackstone first! Our guests, many from out- of-town, are still talking about how beautiful the wedding was and how special it was to stay in a hotel that was so close to many places of interest in downtown Chicago. Thank you Blackstone staff and Jessica Plundo for making our wedding “Perfect in every way!”

Jessica Plundo and the staff at the Blackstone Hotel made our wedding perfect. Plain and simple - Jessica was the guiding light in coordinating our vision and executing each precise detail flawlessly as the Blackstone’s wedding venue coordinator. She and her staff allowed my wife and I to enjoy every moment from the initial consultation, through the several iterations of venue plans and design, to the walk through and the big day itself. Easily, without a doubt, Jessica was our favorite vendor to work with and she has now become our friend. Her professionalism, understanding, patience, honesty, and flexibility allowed our dream wedding to have life. Our wedding party was a non-stop spectacle thanks to her leadership. We are forever grateful to her for her time. (Not to mention she did so while on maternity leave for part of the year leading up to our wedding, and even invited us to a prospective couples' event around Valentine’s Day!). The Blackstone is a remarkable venue and any couple lucky enough to celebrate their wedding here will have made the best investment possible. Every one of our guests enjoyed the luxurious accommodations, the spectacular views, the historical ambiance, and the palpable atmosphere that charmed us from the moment we walked in. The design layout is perfect for a wedding of 100-200 people and the menu – amazingly top notch. In fact, the tasting went so well, both my wife and I ended up having two main courses on the big day! Get the short ribs and vegetarian options for sure! The Blackstone’s relationship with vendors was also tremendously helpful as we ended up finding our day-of wedding coordinator, baker (included in the contract) and several other referrals. Their centralized location made preparation and execution a snap. The Blackstone will forever be our favorite and we have already booked our one-year anniversary there with a recreation of our wedding meal and cake! Highly recommend – 5 Stars!

A wedding at the Blackstone is a one-of-a-kind experience. We had high expectations and the Blackstone met every one. There was an exciting vibe throughout the weekend and the Blackstone’s location, rooms, and accessibility to museums, parks, restaurants, night spots as well as Michigan Avenue cannot be understated. Our out-of-town guests loved their Chicago wedding experience. Working with Jessica was seamless. She is not only talented and hardworking, but also accessible at all times to answer questions, make suggestions and take us through the entire planning process. From our first meeting touring the hotel (and magnificent ballroom!), to the wedding night, she was with us all the way. Jessica made us feel that no request was too great, and was always upfront and honest with us. The flexibility to accommodate our needs was outstanding.

If you are looking for a gorgeous beaux-arts style venue, outstanding food, and impeccable service - look no further than the Blackstone. Originally built by the Drake family and designed by Benjamin Marshall (The Drake's architect), the Blackstone's architectural opulence combined with its recent renovations restore the Blackstone's place as one of Chicago's top luxury hotels, and make it the best venue to host a glamorous downtown Chicago wedding. Not only is the hotel visually stunning, but the history is unmatched by any other hotel in Chicago. As a lifelong Chicagoan, it made me proud to host my wedding at such a notable landmark. From hosting 12 sitting U.S. presidents, to Al Capone, royalty and celebrities, to my husband's grandparent's wedding 64 years earlier, we knew we were in good company! We were treated by royalty throughout the entire process by our events coordinator, Jessica Plundo. To say that Jessica saved our wedding is an understatement. A mere three months before our wedding day, our original venue went out of business. What could have been a nightmare resulted in nothing short of our dream wedding thanks to Jessica. From the moment we met Jessica and saw the Crystal Ballroom, we knew that hosting our wedding reception there was going to be better than what we originally planned. Jessica worked within our budget, matched our prior venue's catering contract, and accommodated our every want or need – she helped to coordinate a wheelchair for my handi-capped mom, provided kosher meals, re-structured our package for a longer cocktail hour, customized our menu, organized our goodbye brunch, answered our numerous e-mail requests promptly and professionally, and honored her word by providing everything that she said she would. She was an absolute pleasure to work with, and went above and beyond to accommodate us. We received numerous compliments from our guests on all aspects of the venue – the food, the hotel rooms, the décor, the ambiance, and the staff/service were all impeccable. My only regret about our wedding is that I did not consider having our reception at The Blackstone originally, because I assumed it was out of our budget. If I had, I know I would have selected it and I would choose it 1000x again. We could not be any happier with how everything turned out, and feel so grateful to have hosted our wedding at The Blackstone.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about The Blackstone. The ballroom is absolutely stunning and fit the theme of our wedding perfectly. Ellie was our coordinator and she could have not been more helpful and accommodating. The food was fantastic. Our wedding was exactly as we envisioned it to be with the help of the staff at The Blackstone, and I would HIGHLY recommend this venue to anyone and everyone!

I always knew that I wanted my wedding reception venue to be quintessential Chicago and the Blackstone is just that. The Art Hall and Crystal Ballroom are breathtakingly beautiful, full of history and make for the perfect backdrop for a wedding reception. From our initial meeting, to emails throughout the entire wedding planning process and the final walk through, Ellie was absolutely wonderful to work with. She went above and beyond to make sure everything ran seamlessly on our wedding day. We are so grateful for her attentiveness to our needs and would highly recommended the Blackstone as a wedding venue!!

If you are looking for an iconic, classic Chicago location with impeccable service, attention to detail, and customization options for your big day, your search stops at the Blackstone Hotel! We worked with Ellie as our on-site coordinator. She was super sweet, organized, and responsive to all of our various requests. She was diligent about following up with us to ensure that we had various requested information and making sure we stayed on track with key decisions we had to make. One of the many reasons why we chose the Blackstone was because we had at our disposal a wedding package that allowed our guests to choose from 4 dinner options. Ellie knew that food and wine were very important to us for our wedding, and when it came time to do the dinner/wine tasting, they did not disappoint. We found that we liked different sides paired with different main dishes and they allowed us to mix-n-match various combinations. However ,with us being big oenophiles, Ellie suspected that the original wine options at the tasting may not be up to our liking and offered for us to do a private wine tasting with the beverage director Bob. During our food tasting we were able to meet Bob. He is very knowledgeable and has a true enthusiasm for his job! When we first met Bob, we discussed what elements of the wines they had we did not like and we shared with him examples of wines we did like. When it came time for the wine tasting, Bob had 10-13 wines waiting for us and in flavor profiles we really liked. Bob gave us some very wise guidance and helped us pick out a suitable chardonnay, as this varietal is not high on our list of favorites in general but he pointed out that many people do like it and know it. As we got closer to the wedding we had a meeting with Ellie and our day-of planner. Ellie worked very well with our planner to execute the intricacies of our timeline for the day of and explained how the different vendors could load into the ballroom. Over all we had an amazing experience and cannot wait to go back for our 1st Anniversary!

Ellie was AMAZING and so organized and made sure everything was perfect! I did not have to worry about a single thing! She was totally on top of it. The hotel gave me the old Chicago vibes I was going for and it was the perfect size! The bridal suite is amazing and there was plenty of room for my 11 bridesmaids, mother, sister in law and I to get ready! It was the perfect place for us and I could not have been happier.

The staff at The Blackstone... WOW. Ryne and I are so grateful for them! We cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience here. The staff was so professional through the whole experience and working with Ellie was great. Ellie, you truly made our experience!! Thank you for all your help. If you are considering The Blackstone for your wedding or event, this is the right choice. We had an amazing day here.

I'm very please with how everything turned out at our wedding reception. The ballroom and hotel itself is gorgeous as you can see in many pictures, but what made it even special to us was the people we worked with. We worked with Jessica at first who was great with helping us with the contract. We were then handed off to Ellie and I wouldn't want to work with anyone else. Ellie took good care of us. She responded to e-mails quickly, she was flexible with meetings, she helped us customize the menu to what we liked, and she made sure our wedding weekend was exactly the way we wanted it. When something happened to go wrong Ellie was able to take care of it and save the day!

I can't recommend The Blackstone and it's staff enough. From the first time my sister (MOH) and I went to see it I completely fell in love. It is an absolutely beautiful hotel, and the renovations they did are all amazing. The pictures of the hotel really speak for themselves, but what makes this venue truly amazing is the staff. Ellie was our wedding coordinator and she was always responsive, answered any questions I had, she is the sweetest person and awesome to work with. She never pushed us on any of the package options or additions, and made sure we got everything we wanted to make our day special (from waking up until the end of the night). On the day of the wedding, she coordinated things around us flawlessly and it was a surprisingly stress free day! Even when our cocktail hour musician backed out because of illness, she told us not to worry and she would take care of it and she got music playing in the hall. She even had a plate of food sent to a family member who was sick upstairs.... Speaking of the food: AMAZING. We got so many complements on how good everything tasted, & many said it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding. I know a lot of brides & grooms say they don't have time to eat at their wedding, but my husband & I definitely did and it was delicious! As for the rest of the staff, from the waiters to the bartenders to the bellman were always courteous and attentive. I really can't say enough good things about this place as a venue and would highly recommended to anyone!! If I had to re-do my wedding day, I would ABSOLUTELY still pick The Blackstone as our venue. No regrets about this place at all.

The Blackstone Hotel made our wedding more amazing than we could have ever dreamed. The staff is unmatched. From our lovely Event Manager, Ellie, to the Banquet Manager, to the bartenders, everyone who works there is a true joy. Not to mention the chef. Our guests raved that their steaks were cooked to perfection, which is a rarity for a wedding of 200 guests. They catered to our every need and request. Super accommodating, helpful, and a true dream team. They were the easiest vendor we worked with by far. I can't say enough great things about this group of individuals and this wedding venue. Highly recommend.

The best decision we made with wedding planning was going with The Blackstone Hotel for our venue. The ballroom is STUNNING, the food is incredible, and the service from our Event Coordinator was on-point. We have no complaints! They helped make our wedding day the best day of our lives. No issues, everything went so smoothly. I can't get over how much I loved everything!!

Our wedding in January 2018 was executed beautifully, and my wife and I can't thank the Blackstone and their Events Manager, Ellie Lowe, enough. Ellie was wonderful to work with, very prompt in responding, and resolved any issues we had quickly and fairly. The hotel was also beautiful, and our guests greatly enjoyed their experience. A few quick tips, which apply at any venue: (1) Read your venue's contract. The Blackstone stood behind what they told us verbally and in writing. They were very fair, and we really appreciated that. (2) Hire a wedding coordinator if you desire flawless execution. Ellie's wonderful and helps where she can, but don't expect her to do your wedding coordinator's role, too. Overall, my wife and I highly recommend the Blackstone!

My husband and I and all our friends and family were blown away with The Blackstone as our wedding reception venue. It is perfect Chicago Glam with a Modern Twist for couples looking for a beautiful, classic, yet modern wedding venue. We worked with Jessica Plundo who was AMAZING. She was positive, easy going, responsive and beyond organized. We did not have an outside wedding planner and Jessica made our lives incredibly easy. Our wedding day was executed flawlessly and we couldn't have asked for a better day or experience. All of our friends and family complimented us on the uniqueness and beauty of the Blackstone and Crystal Ballroom. Hidden Gem! Unexpected, affordable and excellent customer service!

We had a beautiful wedding (ceremony and reception) at the Blackstone in October. It was amazing from the space to the decor to the food. The team (Jessica and Ellie) were great to work with and helping with last minute details and making sure things ran smoothly. The space is gorgeous--and gave us the day we always dreamed of!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience with the staff at the Blackstone Hotel and the gorgeous hotel itself! It’s the most beautiful ballroom in chicago-HANDS DOWN! Seriously, it beats them all out by a mile! I would know because I spent 3 months searching for the perfect venue to meet my (high) expectations of our wedding day. Let’s be real, I spent most of my life thinking about my special day. When my husband and I walked into the ballroom we literally stopped talking and were blown away. The hotel was also recently renovated with beautiful furniture, neutral carpeting and modern rooms for your guests. Luckily, they also kept the vintage charm of the crystal ballroom. Honestly, the place is a dream if I had to capture it in one word. Ellie was our coordinator at the hotel and she went above and beyond our expectations and was an absolute joy to work with. Every question was answered timely and she has the sweetest personality! We stayed in a gorgeous, spacious suite overlooking Lake Michigan for our entire wedding weekend and we were treated like royalty. From personalized notes and champagne left in our room to special appetizer delivery for the bride & groom after the ceremony- we only wish we could re-live our wedding weekend over and over again! Lastly, for all you brides on a budget-the Blackstone is willing to work with you on pricing and still create a look of your dreams-just be open about your budget and they will find a way. We are so grateful for our experience at the Blackstone and have nothing but love for this place and the people that work there!!

I wish I could give The Blackstone 5 stars, but due to some issues, I couldn't. Many of them were solved, yet they still happened when they shouldn't have. When we toured the venue 2 years ago, we met with Jessica, who we loved as much as the venue itself! A few months after securing our date, Jessica told us we would get a new event coordinator as she was being promoted, which we totally understood! Long story short, we almost went through THREE different coordinators until I asked Jessica if she would just stay on as ours since we were 5/6 months out at this point, which she agreed to. She was great with answering all of my questions as we got closer to the wedding. During our meeting a few weeks before the day of, she informed us that their staff needed "meal indicators" to identify who gets what at each table, so basically place cards with initials of meal choices. We DID NOT want place cards for various reasons, and I only had them made for the head table as it was huge (another point that Jessica didn't recommend us doing, but they accommodated!). She said they have never had an event where some type of meal indicator wasn't used, which my husband and I found odd. We ended up agreeing to another solution which worked out fine! Our biggest issue was the costs we accrued on our final invoice after the wedding. They almost charged us the $700 ballroom fee, which is waived when you've met the minimum, which we did! If it wasn't for us reviewing it closely, we would have paid that! They also did not have 1 of our Chicago beers, which cost $3 per head, and we were told all 3 would be there. We did not want to pay the full $3 if 1 wasn't even replaced, so they only charged $2 per head instead. Although there were some issues that were fixed, they still shouldn't have occurred, and wanted others to just be aware. Overall our experience there was great, and would recommend them again because they really did work to fix the problems!

We had our wedding at the Blackstone back in September, and can truly say that the entire process was amazing! From our first tour through the final moments of our reception, the Blackstone staff blew us away with their professionalism and attention to detail. Everything on our day was so seamless and stress-free. We worked specifically with Jessica for most of the planning and she was very sweet and accommodating. The hotel was very recently renovated in a way that both offsets and complements its historic charm . If you're looking for a pleasant planning experience and an elegant venue with true Chicago spirit, this is it!

If you're looking for a historic hotel in downtown Chicago, this IS IT! I'm so proud to have gotten married here in April 2017. From the introductory phone call, after reaching out on The Knot, to the wedding day, my experience with the hotel was totally VIP. Affordability is just icing on the cake to this fantastic venue. I'm so grateful to Jessica Plundo and her entire team for helping me bring my vision to life. P.S. The recent remodel is outstanding and enhances the hotel's charm with a contemporary twist. Love!

We loved the Blackstone Hotel! Their classic ballroom was the perfect spot for our wedding, and working with the team there was nothing less than stellar. We had a few hiccups in the planning process (they charged my credit card without me knowing!!) but the team quickly made up for the error and apologized. At the end of the day, everything was perfect--from the hotel staff checking our guests in, the rooms, the service, and most importantly, Jessica, their catering manager, took care of every detail and was there every step of the way! She is the best. We loved having our wedding at this hotel and can't wait to come back and stay again!

We loved loved LOVED having our wedding here! With the help of the amazing Jessica Plundo, we had the wedding of our dreams at a great price (especially for a historic downtown Chicago hotel). She ensured everything went perfectly, and that we were able to have all the upgrades we desired. All of our guests were so impressed. If you want a beautiful historic venue for your wedding, an easy inclusive option (so many things are included!), and for your wedding to look and feel like a $100,000+ wedding, get married here!

The hotel has so many pros for what we wanted for our wedding reception. It was located in the city close enough to local attractions (like the Museum Campus, Art Institute, Millennium Park) for our out-of town guests to visit over the weekend. They only hold one wedding per weekend so you get access to two event floors - the Art Hall/English Room which is perfect for a cocktail reception and the Crystal Ballroom for your reception/ceremony. The ballroom itself is breathtaking and so elegant that we didn't even need to spend money on any uplighting or extra decor. They gave us the Heaven Suite for the night and the room was massive and beautiful and had these spectacular skylights - there was also another huge connecting room which was the perfect space for the bridal party to get ready. They switched up our wedding coordinator a couple weeks after we signed the contract (which I heard happens a lot in this industry) which threw us off a little, but Samantha was great, easy to communicate with, and was always flexible on meeting us anytime we wanted to stop by for something. Kim, our server for the reception, was so nice and accommodating - and even asked us if we needed the AC turned up. And the absolutely best thing was the food! We had vegetarians and meat-eaters alike complimenting the hors d'oeuvres and entrees. The chef came out during the reception to make sure everything tasted to our standards and we couldn't thank him enough. Overall an amazing experience.

The Renaissance Blackstone was the perfect wedding venue! Our coordinator at the hotel, Samantha, was absolutely amazing. I can not sing her praises enough! She was incredibly professional and answered my many, many emails in such a timely manner (usually same day!). She provided great advice and suggestions and was there on the day to make sure everything went smoothly - which it did! The venue itself is classic and gorgeous. Our guests raved about the food and the stunning ballroom details. I would 100% recommend this venue if you're looking for an elegant venue with old Chicago glam vibe in the heart of the city.

The Blackstone was absolutely wonderful to work with - they really made my dream wedding come true! Samantha went above and beyond as the event manager, taking away as much stress as she could and helping me to produce a truly seamless day. From the food to the decor to the little details she made sure happened, I could not be happier with my wedding at the Blackstone. The word that circulated around the whole wedding was "perfection" and I am not sure I could have accomplished that without the staff of the Blackstone. Plus - the ballroom is absolutely beyond spectacular!

If you are looking for old time glam with modern updates this is the venue for you. We had 90% of our guests come in from out of state for our wedding. This property exceeded all our expectations. The staff is friendly and great. The event planners and staff were excellent! They truly made my husband and I feel so appreciated as a client and made sure every last detail was executed for our special day. On top of all this, this place by far was the best bang for your buck in downtown Chicago. Not one complaint from any of our guests. They still are talking about it! They put the Drake to shame and are a lot more reasonably priced ( also a lot less stuck up).

We celebrated our son's wedding reception at the Renaissance Blackstone Hotel and it was an outstanding choice. From the first moment we visited the site, the support from the event staff was wonderful. Meaghan Tiberio was particularly responsive to every call or text or change in plans. When we arrived at the hotel two days in advance, she had a welcoming gift in our room and was immediately available to discuss all the details of the upcoming event. We were introduced to the catering manager the evening of the reception and he was always available to us. All went very smoothly and the reception was just as wonderful as we had hoped. The Blackstone has been completely renovated by Marriott and restored to its former beauty. The rooms are up-to-date and very comfortable. The reception ballroom is spectacular and requires very little in the way of decor. Our out of town guests were very pleased with the location as there were activities at Grant Park, nearby museums, and Michigan Avenue to explore. I highly recommend the Blackstone for wedding receptions and am thrilled that we made the right choice!

We had our ceremony and reception at the Blackstone. The venue was gorgeous. The food was amazing. The waitstaff during the reception were excellent. But...we had quite a few issues with the front desk and valet staff (including them folding and crumpling my wedding dress after I told them it should be hung on a luggage cart). As for the event planning staff, it was basically a nightmare. My original planner had to quit the hotel and relocate so I was assigned another planner who never took an interest in our wedding. Then only a few days before the wedding, her supervisor stepped up and took over the planning and setup of our wedding. In the end, we were satisfied with the day and the beauty of the hotel but thinking back on the service we wouldn't recommend this venue.

We had our wedding there this June. The staff was very accommodating. From the chefs, event planner, catering planner, and staff the day of we had only positive communications. They allowed us flexibility with the menu and did everything to make sure we were confident with the decor and food for the night. Hotel guests had only positive things to say about their stay there as well. The bridal suite (modern) was the perfect space to get ready in. We also had our brunch there the following morning and it was also a crowd pleaser. The mix of modern and antique was very fun for photo sessions. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the hotel and celebrating events there in the future.

The Blackstone did a GREAT job for our reception and host hotel. The food was EXCELLENT! We still have guests talking about the food and drinks. We had so much fun that evening. Even the bartenders were dancing (we do not know if it was because of the tips or the fun atmosphere!) We skated into our wedding and the garter landed in the chandelier. We had a ball. Now the check in process was terrible they do not have communication between the front desk and the other departments in the hotel. The tried to put my wedding dress in some backroom when it was delivered. I had to call the catering manager to get my dress placed in my room. They didn't know that the groom and groomsmen were in the English room when they arrived and didn't want to let them in the room. Then they didn't want to feed 8 hungry men at 8-10am on a Saturday morning until I called screaming that they feed them immediately. Upon check out the valet damaged my truck. So I reccomend do not use the valet service.

The Blackstone immediately took my breath away when I first visited. It is so unique and the Crystal Ballroom is an amazingly elegant backdrop for a wedding. Our bridal suite was incredible, and the hotel handled every detail perfectly.

We just celebrated our wedding at the Blackstone and I feel like saying it was beyond fabulous is still an understatement!!! I was hesitant initially to have a "hotel" wedding, afraid of having a stereotypically cookie cutter design with a steak and chicken dinner, but the Blackstone changed my mind!!!! The ceremony itself was held off site, but the cocktail hour took place in the Art Hall and the reception in the Crystal Ballroom. Both spaces serve as beautiful backdrops for a wedding. There is spectacularly carved architecture and crystal chandeliers which provide a vintage ambiance. This is then crossed with many updated, elegantly modern features, bright colors and a rotating art gallery which gives the venue one of the most unique spaces I have every seen. The food was such an important aspect of our wedding, my now husband and I are very food-centric and have high standards when it comes to dining. The chef at the Blackstone provided artful and innovative choices beyond what I have seen before. They also graciously allowed us to provide input on everything that was being served, and didn't hesitate to accommodate our suggestions! We had a spectacular raw bar that our event coordinator, Jaci, went out of her way to help construct! Everything about the hotel and it's staff was perfect. We had about 100 out of town guests stay at the hotel, all of which were singing high praises for the Blackstone! They complimented everything from the unique beauty of the hotel to the comfortable rooms, fabulous location and views, the staff, the food. We did not hear a single bad word from any of our guests! Jaci, Jaci, Jaci, I cannot think of a better person to be alongside us through this experience. Some words to describe this wonderful event coordinator: Professional, responsive, mindful, caring, accommodating. She was not just involved in our wedding planning but actively engaged, which meant the world to me. You truly made our wedding perfect and gave us the most memorable day of our lives!!! Deepest gratitude to the Blackstone and all of it's staff members!