Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile

ding date, and from the beginning, the staff was super accommodating and met us for every single request that we had. Our wedding was not traditional and we had to bring in ethnic appetizers, ethnic liquor, our band required extra setup time and sound, our decor required additional setup time and space, our desert vendor and all our other vendor required their own room, etc. etc. etc. It was definitely a big production. The Sofitel went ABOVE and BEYOND to exceed our exceptions on every detail. The venue is AMAZING, the food in incredible (the chef deserves 5 stars and it was truly the best wedding food I've ever had), but it all began when you walked in. The Sofitel experience is like no other, the drive up, the stroll into the hotel. The staff matched the flowers in the lobby to our wedding flowers and it really felt like all the staff in the hotel for the weekend focused to make our wedding as amazing as it was. Overall, the Sofitel went above and beyond for our wedding, and I cannot repeat it enough. However, it would not have happened without Michael Wallace, he truly did everything in his power to make sure all the details fell into place 110%. From day 1, until the last day. Michael is professional, accommodating, patient, and really went the extra mile to make sure everything was perfect. We cannot thank Michael enough and would like the Sofitel and Accor to know that they are truly lucky to have him be part of the incredible team. Michael cared about our wedding as if it were his own, and every step of the process reflected his care. Michael and the Sofitel are the best decision we made in our entire process.

h Sebastian and the whole entire staff. The food was delicious, and the timing was perfect throughout the evening! I would highly recommend using the SOFITEL for a wedding as it turned out to be a dream day!

sband and I looked at each other and just knew it was the venue for us. We had initially worked with Kim Weinberg, who was their Catering Manager at the time. She was able to answer all our questions with a promptness and was a pleasure to work with. In mid-November, we received an email from Kim stating that she was leaving Sofitel for another opportunity. We were a bit concerned, but also hear this happens all the time. Kim did a wonderful job documenting all the specifics we agreed upon and passing it along to the people covering for her while they were looking for her successor. In the interim, Aldina was extremely helpful in answering any questions we had and helping us set up our tasting with Robert, Sofitel’s Director of Catering. By the time we had our tasting, they had just hired their new Catering Manager, Evie McCarty, whom we got to meet for the first time at the tasting. After meeting with Evie, we knew we were in great hands. She stepped in and it felt like we had been working with her the entire time. She was very knowledgeable and took great notes about all the little details that need to get nailed down at the end. They day of the wedding, everything went flawlessly. The venue was absolutely gorgeous, the food (oh the food!) was amazing. Everyone kept saying they had never had such a delicious meal at a wedding before. Evie was even there to help us catch a breath from the party to make sure we enjoyed our dinners. Overall, if you are looking to have a wedding in Chicago, you cannot go wrong with Sofitel. Gorgeous venue, great food, astounding service, everything to give you a wedding you and your guests will never forget.

ng. It was a bonus that we had the entire floor to ourselves and had no other weddings to compete with at the venue. The service was great, and I didn't have to worry about anything on the day of the event. The food was delicious- we have received a lot of compliments on it. My only slight disappointment was the late night snacks weren't distributed to those of us on the dance floor, so I'm not sure if they were worth it. Overall, it was a perfect venue for a perfect event. My parents, husband and I were very pleased. Other notes to add is that the suite provided to us was spectacular and we stayed the evening before so I could get ready there. Also, we had a goodbye brunch the next day and it was worth it to wrap up an amazing weekend. Thank you Sofitel!

location. I'll breakdown the areas that are most important to share: Staff: We worked closely with Robert Warsaw, and from planning through brunch on Sunday he was there for any need we had. In addition to Robert, we had amazing staff there for us the entire weekend whether check-in service or the staff at the party, everyone was so helpful and kind. Food: My family, husband and I were all so incredibly impressed with the quality of food at our tasting and then at the wedding. I think you go into the tasting expecting good (at best) but what we ate was GREAT! Venue: The hotel is simple and so elegant. It's exactly what I was looking for. The lobby is filled with the most beautiful flowers that change frequently. And the best part, in the evening they light the lobby with candles and it creates such a beautiful adn romantic atmosphere, which really set the tone for our event. The ballroom itself is like a blank slate that you can create into anything you dream of, which we did : ) I absolutely recommend the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower for all of these reasons. It was worth every penny!

al and took care of us as if we had a larger party. The food was amazing and the service was excellent. The amenities were also wonderful and we would highly recommend for any small wedding in Chicago.

similar to a reception, but no formal sit down dinner and more cocktail tables/highboys than reception style seating. We did have a DJ and flowers/decor. We also had plenty of food with stations that Sofitel let us customize to fit our budget, taste, and style ("Italian" station, "Chicago" station and meat carving), a signature drink- Blushing Bride that I gave them the recipe to from my favorite bar and they made perfectly, a bourbon tasting bar that we brought in, and wonderful desserts (they even let me mom bring in homemade Italian cookies to add to the dessert table). We threw a FANTASTIC and definitely memorable party there. Every guest raved about the food and drinks. They loved their hotel rooms and how upscale and beautiful the hotel was. The whole night was flawless and went off without a hitch. Sofitel and our wedding coordinator made sure everything was in place and dealt with anything that came up so that my husband and I could just enjoy our night with our family and friends. Everyone has been talking about our party at Sofitel and keeps saying, "you two know how to throw a party!" We had an after- party until 1am in the cocktail hour bar room with friends and ordered pizza too. I can not say enough good things about how our party at Sofitel went. Kim, the wedding event coordinator, worked with us for almost 10 months answering our millions of questions and helping us plan this. Our wedding coordinator, Lauren, from Ryan Alexander Events was so wonderful. Everyone loved her. She literally thinks of everything. Both of them made our day so easy. We had a great experience and would definitely recommend them to people planning a wedding in Chicago.

use of the flexibility in the package, which included food, bar, your cake, and a bridal suite. It was also right off Michigan avenue, easy to find, with valet parking. The food is customizable, so we were able to incorporate ethnic food that I wanted in the menu, as well as some of our favorite foods from our first date. Since the venue is right off Michigan Avenue, this is the perfect place for guests who are coming in from out of town. The rooms are also beautiful, with many modern touches. The bridal suite was breathtaking, with views of the city. We had many compliments about the venue, the food, and the service. Apart from some things that my day of coordinator had picked up, which will be noted below, my husband and I were very happy to have selected this as our wedding reception venue. Mary Ann Kenmotsu was our first vendor manager, who originally stole my heart and then Melissa Knowles had stepped in. Both are very experienced, although I preferred Mary Ann as she was closest to my personality and taste. Still, Melissa is just as qualified; she was able to pick up just where Mary Ann had left off, which made the transition smooth for all of us. The few things that my day of coordinator had noticed was that Marcella (the other catering manager that took over after Melissa left) was sadly not a very nice or welcoming employee. She had thrown away my throw bouquet, saying that she had left it on the DJ table when in fact it had been on the cake table but did not admit that she had thrown it away. We verified this when we saw this in our wedding photos. (I have worked service before so typically I am not one to be upset unless one does not admit their mistake). Marcella also had allowed hotel guests to come upstairs during the breakdown after the end of the reception. A wandering person, who I am not sure was a hotel guest or not, kept trying to get into our vendor room where my day of coordinator had kept our wedding cards and gifts. Thankfully my day of coordinator had noticed this and kept her associate in the room to make sure our gifts were watched. Other than the above, both myself, my husband, and our guests, were truly happy and amazed at the service and quality of the food and the venue. We got married during Christmas time as well, so the hotel was elaborately decorated for the holidays, helping to add a lovely touch to our florist's creations, who had made Christmas tree greenery with sparkling pinecones (my husband is allergic to flowers so we kept flowers to a minimum with just bouquets for myself, my bridesmaids, and my flower girl). Since the 3rd floor is the dedicated event space, only our wedding was taking place, so when you book the hotel, they dedicate just that space for you and no other wedding takes place. Apart from the person Marcella who works at this venue, overall, the value, the service, and the quality were well worth the money spent.

ut the ridiculous prices found at hotels with more well known names (I'm looking at you, Trump & 4Seasons!). They pulled off my event flawlessly, and I couldn't be happier!

passed away, as it was his favorite hotel. Things were great in the beginning when we began working with Rachel via email. Rachel moved and we ended up working with Mary Ann. Once we started working with Mary Ann, things were fantastic. She was kind, professional and fun. Things got really bad though. She was only willing to give my florist 30 minutes to set up because they need to have the opportunity to sell the ballroom during the day. Totally makes sense, they want to have that opportunity for another client. However, 30 minutes is not enough time for a wedding. At least an hour should be devoted to a wedding set up if the room gets booked. We asked about this, and were told rudely that we must have picked an in experienced florist. I called my florist and asked her about set up and she was shocked as well. My fiancé and I were stressed, and we spoke with Mary Ann on the phone. She ended up literally screaming at me. It was the most horrible conversation ever. We both were upset, but she completely lost it. I have never worked with someone more unprofessional. I have emails from her saying that she "was disappointed in us" and we "are asking for too much." We also ended up meeting with the general manger, who was nice enough but it appeared as though we were not taken seriously. My fiancé and I have never had such problems. I urge every bride to walk with deep caution should you chose this hotel. Also, on a separate note, they charge everyone for a higher menu price should you offer a food upgrade. It doesn't quite make sense even after they explained it. I called five hotels in the area and no one else does that. Sorry for my rant, but again, just be careful here, and I urge you to look elsewhere.

y. We couldn't have asked for a better experience overall.

edding!

o confident that they had everything under control and would take care of everything, and they did not disappoint. Everything was perfect, and every guest has mentioned how spectacular the food was. Best wedding food ever. It was costly, but if you can afford it, it's worth every penny

ch.

ed so well and i had a great relationship with my contact there. i would highly recommend having your wedding at the sofitel. and ask for rachel!!

ence and the wedding was amazing and top notch. Because of the highly organized event staff I was able to plan an entire wedding in 3 months that was absolutely perfect! The entire staff was such a pleasure to work with and the service provided was exceptional. We had many out of town guests stay at the hotel for the weekend and everyone was impressed by their entire experience with their stay and the wedding itself. The hotel is also in a perfect location for out of town guests who want to see the city. The food was definitey a big hit, as well. It was 5 star quality as far as taste and presentation go. The event space was also set up absolutely beautifully, too. The entire wedding was even more than I could have hoped for and I would recommend this venue for anyone who wants a high class, elegant city wedding. I give the Sofitel 5 stars plus!!!

ions were found, not that there were problems. The actual reception was to die for, the service was second to none and the room was exactly how we had envisioned it. The food was perfect, we are still hearing about how good everything tasted and how much impressed everyone was with the venue. If I had to do it all over I would not change a thing and I certainly would never dream of not having it at the Sofitel, it was a dream come true! ,

ess though. It was difficult and time consuming to get answers via phone/email but our meetings were productive and nice. Not all of the details made it into the day-of but that might be common.

oordinators made me feel like I was the most important one all the time -I was comped for some mistakes on the part of the hotel -amazing farewell brunch -it's SO WORTH the price. Compared to other hotels in the city, you get an amazing deal here for everything that's included. -food was incredible and all the guests loved every bite -beautiful black marble-ish dance floor -private 3rd floor ballroom and foyer area -fresh flowers in the lobby for your nasal pleasure Cons -Michelle and Sarah forgot a couple of small details so make sure you remind your vendors of any specifics so neither you nor they are surprised by anything -kitchen removed food from some tables before it was finished during a dance set

lls; after the contract was signed, it was a constant struggle to get in touch with her to get my questions answered, to schedule the tasting, etc. She frequently took over a week to respond to a simple email, and she occasionally never returned my email or phone call until I called her a second or third time. I assumed things would get better within the month--or even the week--prior to my wedding, but they actually got even worse. Michelle just could not get it together, and if it weren't for my wedding coordinator's assistance in forcing her to finally get things right, I don't know what would have happened. The actual event was great. Most notably, the food was absolutely incredible; I think almost every one of our guests has raved to us about the food. The same goes for the cake, which was made by Take the Cake. The service by the waiters and other staff was also very good. Thus, if it weren't for Michelle's inability to do her job, I would have had a great experience. But, as it is, when I think back about my experience with the Sofitel, I unfortunately have very negative thoughts. And that's incredibly disappointing, considering it was a major part of the best night of my life.