New Riverbend Ballroom - $30 mil transformation
300+ guests
Holds ceremonies and receptions
Erin Key
DIRECTOR OF CATERING
Typically responds within 24h
The Westin New Orleans completed a $30 million transformation in February 2020. The landmark hotel overlooks the historic French Quarter and Mississippi River. One of the top venues in the city, this hotel features unique spaces and picturesque views that will elevate your wedding to a new level of luxury. Collaborate with their professional event planning staff and wedding specialist to customize every detail of your perfect day.
FACILITIES AND CAPACITY
Accommodating up to 350 guests, this venue features city views that will take your breath away. A perfect atmosphere for any reception decorated with beautiful woodwork, contemporary chandeliers and floor to ceiling windows, your guests will remember your reception for a long time.
SERVICES OFFERED
The Westin New Orleans is a full-service wedding venue with on-site catering and event coordination available.
Cuisine
Work with their skilled culinary team to construct the perfect wedding menu for you and your guests. For more information on cuisine and menu selections, please contact The Westin New Orleans to discuss your wedding day options.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Bridal suite
Parking
Valet
Wheelchair access
LOCATION
Located at the foot of Canal Street overlooking the Mississippi River and French Quarter, The Westin occupies the uppoer 18 floors of Canal Place, an upscale mixed-use development that includes luxury retail such as Louis Vuitton and Saks Fifth Ave. The hotel ballrooms are uniquely located on the 11th and 12th floors which provide stunning views of the landscape below.
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Starting prices
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Starting prices don't include service fees, taxes, gratuity, and rental fees. Guest count and seasonality may also affect prices.
Amenities + details
Amenities
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Guest Capacity
300+
Settings
Ballroom
Beach
Waterfront
Hotel
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks
Destination Weddings
Food & Catering
Any questions?
Meet the team
Erin Key
Director of Catering
The Westin New Orleans offers several different venue options to choose from ranging from an intimate outdoor space overlooking the Mississippi River to the Grand Ballroom with spectacular city views. I look forward to introducing you to our newly modernized wedding venue!
Availability
Reviews
4.7
out of 5.030 reviews
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
The Westin New Orleans is highly recommended for weddings, with reviewers praising the exceptional service, beautiful views, and delicious food. The venue's Riverbend ballroom easily accommodated 150 guests and the outdoor area was a hit. Guests enjoyed the convenience of staying at the venue, with the hotel lobby bar becoming a popular meeting spot. The recent renovations, attentive staff including Erin Key, and the bar area were highlighted as positives, though the venue lacked ideal spots for large group photos. The helpfulness of staff and the stunning views from the Riverview Ballroom were also commended, making The Westin a favored choice for weddings.Review photos
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Christine Z
5.0
6/17/2024
The Westin New Orleans handled our room block and they went above and beyond with everything during the wedding process. Justice and Max were excellent with all of the details and helping orchestrate the details regarding the room block for our wedding and they were excellent with communicating with me regularly. I highly recommend The Westin New Orleans for any room blocks or events. We had an amazing Welcome cocktails hour at Observatory Eleven.
Thank you for everything!
Amanda R
5.0
12/15/2023
I cannot recommend the Westin New Orleans more as a wedding venue. I viewed 15 hotels in Nola before choosing this location. As a native to the city, the hotel is in a perfect location for outside guest. The true sell to the venue is the floor the ceiling windows in the reception area. The darkness of the night overlooking the Mississippi River as music filled the dance floor was a scene I will never forget. When viewing other (older possibly grander) hotels, the reception spaces were so small and dark with no windows in sight making those spaces feel tight and cold. This ballroom is brand new and you can tell.
The Riverbend ballroom easily held my 150 guests and the outdoor area was also a huge hit for a respite from the dance floor. Erin Key has to be one of the most talented planners and hospitality coordinators in the city. Erin is personable but gets the job done. She made sure we knew what we wanted and how to set everything up and had mockups within a day. We choose a seafood focused menu and it was delicious.
The bar area was also a highlight of my wedding. My guest gathered there after the reception and wedding and kept the party going. The hotel is set up for a large wedding that likes to have fun, so if that is you, I highly recommend this venue. It is competitively priced but you will also get points with Marriott for your large purchase.
The only small thing is that there aren't great places for large group photos. We choose to do most photos elsewhere and outside but with proper planning this was a non issue.
Any questions?
Margaret C
5.0
2/06/2023
When we went venue touring for our wedding, we did not anticipate how much we would love The Westin. We are big Marriott people, and my mom thought we should tour a hotel ballroom, so we chose to go look at The Westin. From the moment we walked in the lobby, we were in awe of how beautiful the entire hotel was. We fell in love with the beautiful Riverview Ballroom right off of the bar in the lobby. The chandeliers and river views through the floor to ceiling windows meant we didn’t need to worry about a lot of “extra decor.” We were also shown the suites that the bridal parties would be getting ready in, and they were lovely. Though it was a little over budget, the idea of the convenience for our guests and family (traveling from all over) is what sold us. The Westin Event Manager, Erin Key, was our point of contact through the entire wedding planning process. She could not have done a more amazing job. She answered my countless emails, knew the answers to any question I could think of, and was flexible in scheduling our meeting times. She went above and beyond to make sure that our entire wedding weekend ran smoothly. When we arrived at The Westin a couple of days before our wedding, the doormen expertly unloaded our multiple carloads of wedding supplies and luggage and delivered it all neatly into our different hotel suites. Our family and friends loved the convenience of staying at the reception venue, and the hotel lobby bar became a meeting place throughout the entire weekend. When we returned to the hotel after our rehearsal dinner, it was like having a free, unplanned welcome party because all of our friends and family were gathered in the bar having drinks to kick off the weekend! Our food tasting in the planning process of the reception was delicious, but we couldn’t believe the food could be as delicious at our reception on such a large scale. We were wrong; everyone went on-and-on about how delicious every bite was! We did the platinum package, and the raw bar did not disappoint. Our vendors had no trouble setting up as Erin had ensured everything would be executed perfectly. We have been back to The Westin a couple of times since our reception, and we are always flooded with the amazing memories from our wedding weekend. If you are looking for the perfect hotel ballroom reception in New Orleans, The Westin is the venue for you!
Victoria S
5.0
1/17/2023
We knew the moment we stepped into The Westin that we would be married there. Erin was extremely responsive and helpful throughout the entire process, which can be hectic as an out of state bride. The food was to die for, our guests STILL talk about the potato bar! I cannot have imagined a more beautiful place to marry the love of my life.
Adona K
5.0
10/24/2021
The Westin was recently renovated at the end of 2019 and is simply stunning today. The Westin was honestly my first choice based on attending a wedding there previously and their premier location in New Orleans. The service is beyond anyone’s expectations. We met Byron the Catering Sales Manager when viewing the ballrooms on our own. He instantly made us feel like family and this being such a big investment we knew he would take care of us and ensure the wedding would be perfect. Well he didn’t disappoint, he made every trip to the Westin fun and we were treated like royalty. He made our decision to choose the Westin easy because of his dedication to providing exceptional service. He was with us every step of the way and we appreciate him more than words can describe. Erin, was also wonderful throughout the process and responsive to our needs. We had a ball and everyone enjoyed every moment of the reception and stay at the hotel.
Joey and Lisa S
5.0
6/23/2021
The Westin proved to be the perfect venue for our daughter's wedding. The relatively recent renovations makes it an absolutely beautiful, comfortable space for a wedding. The Grand Ballroom was spacious, offered a gorgeous view and provided flexibility for table arrangements. It was able to easily accommodate our 275 guests and a live 9-member band. The food was delicious. We sampled many menu items at a food tasting in advance of the wedding so that we could offer the perfect menu to our guests. You have got to check out the lamb chops and potato bar! As for service, our guests complimented us on never having to wait in line to get a drink. In the months leading up to the wedding, the wedding coordinator (Coty) and the banquet captain and food/beverage supervisor (Byron) were impeccable. Coty was knowledgeable, always accessible and reassuring. Byron made us feel special at every turn causing us to feel like we were his life-long friends. That special treatment carried over into the wedding weekend when many of our family and friends enjoyed a block of rooms at The Westin. It changed the wedding day into a wedding experience and mini-vacation. We are grateful to The Westin for the awesome role it played in this momentous family occasion and give them the highest recommendation!
Tori B
5.0
7/20/2017
The view from both the ballroom and the venue next to the downstairs lobby is absolutely breathtaking. We did not end up going with The Westin for our reception venue for a couple of different reasons, but it was a tough choice to make because we truly did love everything about it. This place is gorgeous and makes for a beautiful venue.
Julia O
5.0
11/14/2016
The Westin was the perfect spot for our semi destination wedding. Marguerite was beyond wonderful to work with. Cant speak enough to how accommodating she was and on top of everything. She has lots of great experience and lovely to work with. The venue is beautiful and the location is perfect, not too far or too close for our variety of guests.
5.0
10/31/2016
I am Mother of the Bride and a meeting planner for over ten years, booking events at significant venues from coast to coast. We strongly recommend you choose Marguerite DeAngel when you plan your wedding reception. We personally previewed no fewer than eleven prospective venues in or adjacent to the Quarter for our daughter’s wedding reception. Meeting Marguerite made the choice clear. We were not disappointed. There are literally hundreds of details involved in selecting the venue and planning the reception, and each one is a potential problem. We can honestly say that our reception was as close to perfect as any event I have ever been involved with. Everyone involved, from the catering staff, bell staff, concierge, and front desk, were all welcoming, helpful, friendly and responsive. The food at the “tasting” where we made our selections was excellent. The food at the reception was even better! We credit this overall level of excellence directly to the managerial skill, competence, professionalism and personal “hands on” attention to detail of Marguerite DeAngel. Additionally, she was personally a delight to work with and a wealth of information and recommendations for reception bands, flowers, the wedding cake, photographers and videographers. We acted on her recommendations for every one of these major items and could not be happier with the results. Marguerite is a true professional who goes above and beyond. She will make your wedding reception the memory of a lifetime. Marguerite is absolutely Five Stars!
Bill B
5.0
9/22/2016
How can a wedding party go perfectly seamless? Plan it at the Westin. Marguerite was amazing to work with and always in touch. The size of the Ballroom worked perfectly for 275 people and the dance floor was the perfect size. Did I mention the food? I am 58 and attended many weddings. I have never had a buffet as good as what the Westin provides. We also had a brunch the next day and it came off just as well. Stop worrying, don't fret, let Marguerite and the Westin plan your next big event.
Sarah L
5.0
6/15/2016
Alise at the Westin was such a pleasure to work with. She made sure we had everything we needed. The Grand Ballroom was beautiful. All my guests enjoyed the food. I would definitely recommend the Westin to anyone.
Avione A
5.0
5/31/2016
Great venue!
Theresa B
5.0
4/07/2016
My wedding at the Westin Canal place was my dream come true. The location and view of the hotel which is overlooking the river is remarkable and is truly an exciting way to experience New Orleans on your wedding day. I had the pleasure of knowing Marguerite as my wedding planner, and she is truly what made that day special. Everything went as planned and was so well taken care of that all I had to worry about for my big day, was myself and being all dolled up. The guests at our wedding talk about it being their favorite wedding and I wish everyone could experience their event with the same hospitality and success that I did.
Taylor Q
5.0
4/07/2016
The Westin does an outstanding job of offering great service and attentiveness to both the married couple and the guests. Their food is delicious and such a wonderful variety of New Orleans favorites are offered. The ballroom is such a great size for a large dance floor and band - a good time was had by all!
5.0
11/17/2015
The Westin Canal Place was an amazing venue!!! Our guests stayed at the hotel and had great service and loved the lobby with the huge windows and great view of the French Quarter and the river. The best part of planning an event there is Marguerite, the director of event catering. She was extremely wonderful to work with, very responsive, flexible and helpful. The bridal suite was huge and a fun space to get ready with all of my bridesmaids. The day/night went off without a hitch, and all of our guests are still raving about the beautiful ballroom and delicious food!
5.0
10/23/2015
We got married and held our reception here in April 2015. Marguerite Deangel, the Director of Catering and Convention Services, did an awesome job helping me to plan and execute the whole thing from soup to nuts. We held the wedding on the 11th floor outdoor veranda overlooking the Mississippi River and the reception just inside with floor-to-ceiling views of the River. Our out-of-town guests stayed here and LOVED the location just outside of the French Quarter and across from Harrah's Casino. We highly recommend the Westin and Marguerite!
Jessica P
5.0
10/22/2015
ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. Marguerite and her staff are amazing! My wedding was perfect. Please go see if you are interested in a gorgeous setting with beautiful chandeliers, amazing food, and a great staff! The windows in the ballroom overlooking the city are breathtaking. Thank you Westin New Orleans Canal Place, I wouldn't have changed anything!
5.0
10/20/2015
We chose the Westin to reserve our wedding room block for our guests.
The Westin was so wonderful to work with. Their group rate on rooms was so much better than anywhere else and as the bride and groom we were able to get an upgraded suite for the same price. Our room was 750 sq ft! Plenty of room for me and all of my 9 bridesmaids to get ready for the main event! All of my guests loved the lobby area and all said they had such great views of New Orleans.
Please keep The Westin in mind when reserving rooms for your wedding guests!
Brynn G
4.0
6/09/2015
Able to get a fabulous group rate including suites. Beautiful views in lobby and rooms. Great location, shopping downstairs, Aveda Salon and Saks for wedding day beauty prep. Half a mile to St. Louis Cathedral and Cafe du Monde!
Anna A
2.0
1/21/2015
If you are considering the gorgeous venue that is the Westin Canal Place for your wedding, be forewarned! Although we ultimately do not regret our venue choice because it did deliver the gorgeous view we fell in love with, we feel compelled to warn other couples so you can avoid the frustration we experienced:
THE PROBLEMS:
- Instead of the 65,000 Starwood points we earned as a result of our guests staying at the hotel, we were only credited 20,000 points because “that is the limit.” Our contract does not mention a limit, and we were told to expect to earn about 50,000 points. We hope to be able to report back that the Westin ultimately finds a way to honor this commitment.
- We learned the day after our wedding that merlot was served, and pinot noir was not. If you have seen the movie Sideways, my feelings towards merlot are exactly the same as those of Paul Giamatti's character. We remain appalled that the staff simply ignored the order.
- Our two signature cocktails tasted nothing like they normally do in the Westin's Green Bar. It felt like a bait and switch.
- The two bar tenders at our "full premium bar" were two older women who clearly did not know how to make cocktails. We cannot help but wonder if this was by design.
- We were told after we paid in full that our Bellini Bar would incur additional charges. Ultimately we had to provide the juice ourselves.
- Instead of the comparable main dish we were promised for vegetarians, they were served plates of cold side vegetables.
- The "personal assistant" provided for the bride and groom nearly spilled a tray of drinks all over my dress.
- Although our contract specified that parking would be $18 per day, guests were charged $30+/day. Initially we were simply told that the owner had increased the price. Ultimately they fixed this, but not without argument.
- The front desk staff clearly ignored instructions. My brother and mother were not placed in the adjoining rooms as reserved, and were not placed on the same floor until 3 family members separately complained. My mother also seriously cut her arm on a sharp door jam.
- Many guests reported that their rooms were not cleaned, but rather "green choice" cards were simply put under their doors even though they never made such a choice. The groom's mother had this happen the entire week. Her bathroom also smelled so terribly from the plumbing that she kept the bathroom door closed all week.
THE HAPPY NOTES:
- The bellman are fantastic, as are the concierges.
- We really appreciated the coordinator contacting each and every vendor to confirm their services the week of the wedding. The promise of a day of event coordinator is was almost completely fulfilled.
- The redecorating of our room before we went home after the wedding was exquisite.
THE AFTERMATH
- When we sent a report of all these issues, the Westin took them seriously and assured us that they have instituted a number of changes as a result. The Westin offered us, by way of apology, a free two-day stay in a suite with our favorite view of the river, as well as a number of Starwood points. They also offered our mothers a $100 credit each on their bills.
- We continue to wait for the Westin to address the 45,000 points they still owe us from the contract.
- Hopefully this review is helpful! The Westin really does offer a magical experience in many ways, but you have to be willing to overlook a lot of difficulties along the way.
Amanda S
5.0
10/12/2014
I recently had our reception at The Plimsoll Club on the 11th floor of The Westin. I loved this for the reception because it wasn't your typical reception hall. It was several rooms that led into each other with a terrace at the end overlooking the Mississippi River and long, wall sized windows in every room showed off New Orleans at night. Guests were able to sit and mingle in the front of the club and not feel overwhelmed by the band that was towards the back if they chose, which people really appreciated. Marguerite is the wedding coordinator at the Westin and she was so easy to work with and put up with my crazy family and all of our requests. We were also able to secondline down the river to jackson square at the closing of the reception. If you're looking for a venue that really shows off New Orleans, then this is your place!
Cate A
5.0
10/08/2014
I looked at several hotel venues in the French Quarter and ultimately I went with the Westin because they impressed me the most and the wedding coordinator is amazing. Their ballroom, in my opinion, is the most tastefully done in the quarter. It doesn't have ugly red carpet, it's a great size which was nice since we had a larger reception and the chandeliers were beautiful. I felt so confident in Marguerite and the Westin to give me what I was looking for. All of my guests loved the hotel because it was close to everything and they have an awesome rooftop pool and since I got married in August, it was definitely utilized. Overall, I would recommend the Westin to everyone. I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out and how professional the hotel staff was. It took a lot of stress off of me which I know a lot of brides would appreciate.
Erika B
5.0
7/16/2014
Our ceremony and reception both took place at the Westin. We could not be happier with the service provided. Our wedding was more beautiful than we could have ever imagined. We ran into some weather issues about five minutes before the ceremony was supposed to start and the people at the Westin immediately set up an indoor room and made it look perfect for the ceremony in less than five minutes. The reception was incredible. The food was delicious. The staff was very helpful. I would recommend the Westin for anyone that needs a space for any kind of event. They take care of all of your needs and provide you with the best service at a very reasonable price. We are more than satisfied with everything the Westin did for us.
Rachael M
5.0
3/26/2014
I highly recommend the Westin Canal Place for a wedding. Everything was beyond our expectations and was just wonderful. With the Westin staff's help, our wedding was one of the top weddings that our guests and us have attended. We wouldn't have changed a thing! The Westin was able to organize our second line band to make the party happen, the food was excellent, and the Westin took ownership of each of the vendors that we hired. The service was truly excellent, from Marguerite (the head event coordinator) to the folks who helped to bus the tables.
The Westin made everything so easy. It is the perfect place to have both the ceremony and the reception under one roof. The large ballroom is excellent for a large wedding reception with a seated dinner. We had a hard time finding somewhere that could accommodate over 200 people for a seated dinner, but it was no problem for the Westin. The room rental fees, drinks, and food were all very reasonable compared to other large hotels in the area.
Almost all of our guests came from out of town, and the Westin was a perfect hotel for them to be close to the French Quarter and the CBD. The views are unparalleled and our guests truly enjoyed staying there. The Westin staff was very helpful with room reservations and updates, and always replied quickly to any inquiries.
This is a fabulous pick for a wedding venue. You won't be disappointed!!!
Meghan K
5.0
8/13/2013
This was the first thing I booked after getting engaged. I knew Marguerite personally and had all the confidence that she would make my wedding day dreams come true and boy did the Westin deliver! Everything was top notch and very accommodating for the nights we stayed down there. Our guests had a lovely time and it was a "feel good" weekend for everyone. I want to return to the Westin often for our anniversaries. The rooftop pool is amazing, as well.
Elizabeth E
5.0
3/23/2013
The Westin was beautiful! Marguerite is the catering manager and wedding planner and was fantastic. I live several hours away and she always responded promptly to my emails and calls. Very professional and patient. The hotel has amazing views of the Miss River and French Quarter! The food at our reception was outstanding! Most said it was the best they have ever eaten at a wedding- try the shrimp and grits!! It was a perfect space for our wedding. I definitely recommend checking it out!
Ashton M
4.0
7/19/2012
I had my ceremony in the Westin Lobby, they were great and let my wedding planner pretty much do whatever she liked for decorations. Our reception was in River 127 & The Plimsoll Club, everything was beautiful. The food turned out well, I gave one less star because it was mentioned that the hotel servers were not being as helpful through dinner service as they should be. In the end, to me, the wedding went great.
CHRISTINE N
5.0
5/01/2012
The Westin Canal Place was perfect for my dream wedding! Marguerite was amazing in catering to all my needs as a bride. The views were breathtaking and the honeymoon suite was HUGE!!
karlin t
5.0
12/01/2011
The Westin was a beautiful venue for an evening wedding. The city lights were the setting on one side of the ballroom with a great floor plan for the band and dance floor, tables and food tables. I heard everyone enjoyed the food, too!
Beverly Z
1.0
6/22/2011
Air conditioning was not sufficient in some of the block of rooms. Also, a few of the rooms had very low water pressure and therefore toilets did not properly flush. In booking the rooms for more than just the weekend of the event (some guests stayed a few days after) the reservations system di not confirm the bookings for the extra days. One of our guests was even asked to vacate their room, when this room was definately confirmed! The parents of the bride offered their room to these guests and therefore if not have a room on the night of the wedding! Staff was not particularly helpful in this situation.
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The Westin New Orleans
Erin Key
|
Director of Catering
Typically responds within 24h
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