Just wanted to update my readers, I haven’t had time to update this! But I thought I would now.
So as you know I have tons of ideas already to make the hotel ballroom gorgeous, and I just wonder, is it worth paying that “extra $$” for a certain type of hotel??? In a world where the DoubleTree is seen as less appealing than a Sheraton, and a Hyatt is supposed to be top of the class, it’s surprising to see how vastly different the reception ballrooms are at each of these locations. Even more so, a theme park’s hotel beats all of these in square footage AND view, yet costs a little bit less. The price difference wouldn’t make a difference if the wedding guest count was just at 100…but at 300, even a $5 difference per head adds up quickly–$1500 gone like that. So is it worth it to spend that extra $1500 for a hotel name? I’m not too sure. All of these hotels have their pros and their cons, but I just wonder if the hotel chain name makes any difference! I don’t think it does. All I want is a beautifully decorated room!
I’m attaching photos of some ballrooms and you guys get to tell me what you think, w/o learning of the hotel’s name!
Ballroom #1
They have nice carpet, very spacious, I like their chandeliers, their walls are painted well, well lit and nice, muted colors. (can u tell I like them?) Also, the draping on the left wall is not included obviously, but it’s something I kind of want to consider if it’s budget friendly.
VENUE #2 (they get two photos, another so you can see their carpet… eeek)
(this was a short-table event apparently, but still… do you see the carpet….)
OK VENUE #3
Now that’s venue #3, it’s nice, been to weddings there. I kind of hate the lights!! Why are they squares? I like chandelier type lighting….
So I bet whoever is reading this is thinking a few things:
-if the venue is DECORATED nicely, it will look nice, duh Sidra
-they all kind of look the same…
PLEASE COMMENT!!!!! I’d love your advice.
The Bridal Diaries 
I definitely agree with your points about how they are all similar and it’s the decorations that are going to make the difference…but I like the first venue the best! The lighting and over all openness of the space (in my humble opinion) is romantic and whimsical which I know you are looking for!
Thanks!! I like the first one too!! After I get all the comments, I will post which hotel is which. You might be surprised to hear! haha it’s shocking how big a difference a hotel name makes in the cost, however, the hotel with the “less classy” name is the one that was most recently remodeled!!
Hi Sidra… I like ballroom #1, the lighting is nice and I like the chandeliers. But it could also be just a really good photo…. BUT the carpet is also nicer than the other two ; )
Jaclyne
Hey there 🙂
Well, judging by photos alone, the first one looks the nicest. The lighting seems enchanting and it has a beautiful feel to it, though that probably has a lot to do with the kind of decor and color scheme as well. But it obviously looks the most appealing.
The second’s carpet is frightening, but with proper decor, one may not really pay attention to it anyway. It could also be a fun talking point for guests who run out of conversation — instead of bringing up the weather, they discuss carptery 🙂
The third is difficult to fully assess because the perspective of the shot makes it’s wider than it is, but if square lighting is a real pet peeve for you, than I would venture away from that.
So which are they?
SOOOO this is what they are!
The first one is The DoubleTree Guest Suites in Anaheim (http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/SNADCDT-Doubletree-Guest-Suites-Anaheim-Resort-Convention-Center-California/index.do) look at their other photos at that link….really pretty.
The Second one is the Sheraton in Cerritos (http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=417) The carpet here is UGLY and they aren’t very nice!! But the hotel has such pretty fountains around it!
The third is the Hyatt in Irvine (http://irvine.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/events/index.jsp) The Hyatt is great, but we’d have to pay $900 to buy out parking for our guests… I’m also not 100% its entirely worth the extra cost!
I’m still not sure what to do! The Sheraton is a nice hotel but their staff sucks, and their ballroom’s carpet is so ugly. All these are relatively close in price–the Hyatt only being $5 more per head, maybe $7 if the prices go down a bit more on the other two properties.
Isn’t it surprising that DoubleTree Guest Suites is the prettiest?! It really is nice in person–I was kind of surprised when I went to a wedding here.