The Penthouse Hyde Park

TERRIBLE, AVOID! Full of hidden fees, unrealistic insurance requirements from any outside vendors forcing you to go with their list of vendors. Really old elevator that barely works. Dealing with this team was such a bad experience that I opted for a different venue even AFTER paying the deposit, and I am really glad I did after reading all these other reviews. Highly recommend avoiding this venue for your big day

My wife didn’t have to sell me on this venue in fact I sold her. The decor was amazing and I had to visualize having an indoor or outdoor ceremony at this venue. Once we came to terms Chicago weather was too unpredictable to just be sold on their amazing terrace space alone we came up with 10 pros why this space would be perfect for our wedding. Felicia and her team made planning effortless. They worked through floor plans, shared insurance details for vendors and completely became vested in our happily ever after. The cleanliness of the venue was also a selling point, the linen napkins. Yes those details mattered to us. I was elated when my guest raves about our wedding location, our catering choice and the ambience throughout the evening. Just connecting good people with good people, you can’t go wrong with this venue.

Shortly after getting engaged, I came across this venue and was in awe of how it perfectly captured exactly what I envisioned for a wedding day venue. The space is simultaneously a blank canvas but also decorated in an equally subtle and notable elegance. Regarding decor, I can’t tell you how many times I stated, “The Penthouse Hyde Park doesn’t need too much more than flowers,” and that emphatically rings true. When my now-husband and I initially toured the venue, seeing the space in person sealed our confidence in utilizing the The Penthouse Hyde Park for our venue. The space is gorgeous, elegant, clean and the suite set off from the ballroom is the perfect spot for bride, groom and wedding party to have as a “home base”/retreat location during the day of. (I have to stress, when picking a venue location, having a private space to use will be an important element, it was for me, at least.) We had both our ceremony and reception at the The Penthouse Hyde Park. When we chose them for our venue, we were in connection with two wonderful and supportive contacts: Emmanuelle and Felicia. Both Emmanuelle and Felicia answered our endless questions and helped us finalize what we’d need from the venue to have an incredible wedding day. The team was professional and timely in communication. They were also immensely accommodating during the planning process, for our rehearsal and on our big day! On our wedding day, all of the event staff present was kind, enthusiastic and we are so grateful for the The Penthouse Hyde Park team. Choosing this gorgeous space for the venue to celebrate our loving union was a choice I’d make again.

The venue itself is gorgeous but the management and staff definitely need some work. You can tell this is a new venue. I struggled with communication throughout my planning process - my initial contacts were all gone by the time my wedding day came. Our caterer struggled with communication with them. There was no one from The Penthouse at my final walk through. And the day of security wouldn't let me guests up at the start of the event - they had to be told to start letting people in. At the end of the night I was forced out of the service elevator to the street - I couldn't wait for my transportation in the lobby. Just very unorganized and not accommodating. They also have this very strict rule about obtaining a COI for all vendors with very high insurance requirements - some of my vendors didn't meet them and had to increase their insurance - I was told many times that this is not industry standard. And it was left on me to provide all of this to them - adding extra stress and planning. Extra confusion added with the constant staff turnover. They force you to hire security guards for your event but it seemed like they were working the event for them - I never saw anyone working at the venue other than the security guards. They also have a parking lot across the street but charge you $30 a spot. Extremely disappointed in the management and staff of this venue.