Hotel Ballast Wilmington, Tapestry Collection by Hilton Reviews

Hotel Ballast is a gorgeous venue. Being a modern hotel right on the river walk was just what I had envisioned for my wedding. All of that was wonderful, but what made my wedding experience ten times better was Karen, the event coordinator. My original wedding date had to be rescheduled due to Covid and Karen took over for my previous coordinator and I’m so glad she did. She was beyond helpful, the communication and quick responsiveness was 100% and she did everything in her power to make sure my husband and I were happy and comfortable. Definitely consider the hotel if you’re looking for a wedding venue!

Hotel Ballast was the perfect location for our wedding! Gabby Rivera and Brooke Bloomquist were absolutely amazing when it came to making our wedding day so beautiful. They were both so patient and helpful as we talked through what we envisioned for our big day, and we were blown away by how great everything looked! One of the most awesome parts about choosing the Ballast is that is right on the riverwalk, and you simply cannot beat the view! The food was amazing, the ballroom was absolutely gorgeous, and my husband and I had the greatest time dancing the night away with our guests knowing that the incredible staff at this venue had EVERYTHING handled (and I mean everything!). I wish we could relive the night over and over again!

We had the best time at The Hotel Ballast. Brooke made everything so easy for us and so stress free. Everyone LOVED the food, drinks and atmosphere. I would highly recommend this venue to anyone.

We hosted a family brunch the morning after the wedding. They we very accommodating with our requests. Also pro tip they gave us was to use the flowers from the wedding for centerpieces for the brunch. Worked so well!

Brooke Bloomquist and staff were awesome in ensuring our special day was perfect! We couldn’t have asked for a better wedding/reception. It was everything and more.

They made everything so easy with their patience and positive attitude the whole way through! The venue was beautiful and our day was absolutely perfect.

You definitely get more bang for your buck at Hotel Ballast! Most venues downtown are just a shell that YOU have to fill. Brooke Bloomquist is definitely your go-to for wedding planning!

Amazing location. Expectations exceeded. Brook was a godsend.

Meagan did a great job and the setting was perfect. Kudos to the weatherman!!! Food Friday night and Saturday afternoon was very good (not only my thought, but expressed to me by many people). From start to finish, 7 months, Meagan had a good answer or good suggestions for every question re the wedding and the rehearsal. It was a pleasure dealing with an experienced professional.

This is the second wedding in our family, the first being at a well known country club in Ponte Vedra, Florida. I cannot tell you how pleased my husband and I were with the Wilmington Hilton (now the Hotel Ballast). The food, the flowers and the decorations were all perfect. Service was wonderful and prompt. The difference between our first wedding experience and this one is marked! Wilmington gets the nod by far! Thanks also to our wonderful wedding coordinator Meagan. She was fantastic and took all the load off my shoulders as the mother of the bride. If you are looking for a wedding venue the Hotel Ballast is the place to go! My husband and our family highly recommend it. Brynda and Charles Greer, DeLand, Florida

I recently got married and had my wedding along with my rehearsal dinner and reception at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside. The experience was outstanding. All of the staff, especially Meagan Lanier, were amazing. They made the entire process so simple and did a phenomenal job on all of the preparations. I couldn't have asked for better service. Everything was exactly the way we wanted it and the value for what they offer in all of their packages is wonderful. They took care of the planning and organizing which made our lives easier so we didn't have to worry about figuring out what was needed. I highly recommend them for any event.

The Hilton was super accommodating and provided enough rooms for my whole family! There were all super nice and the proximity to my venue was perfect! Everyone enjoyed their stay!

My wedding planner Meagan was awesome! She was very professional and brought my intimate low key wedding vision to life! I have no complaints. Thank you Meagan for seeing my vision and making my wedding beautiful!

Great place for planning any wedding! Haleigh, the wedding coordinator, is the absolute best! She did everything to make sure our reception and rehersal went perfectly!

We could not have been more thrilled with our experience at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside for our December wedding. The venue overlooking the river was the perfect backdrop and watching the sunset before we went into our guests was priceless. Rachel was so attentive to us and our 230 guests. She made sure every detail was attended to. The food was delicious and our guests were extremely complimentary of their meal. The florist and cake vendors that work with the Hilton were amazing as well. I highly recommend the Hilton Wilmington Riverside to future brides.

The Hilton Riverside was the most perfect place to have a wedding reception, especially when you have to plan from a distance. In one day you sit down and pick out decor, try the catering, cake and go over flowers! Rachel, the wedding coordinator, is incredibly responsive and dedicated to each event . She is so positive and is incredibly accommodating to whatever is needed to make the event a success.

We love Wilmington Riverside Hilton! Our wedding reception was beyond amazing. Everything from the fine details, flowers, cake, food, to our end of the night exit was exactly as we had pictured it to be. Rachel Anderson is an amazing Wedding Coordinator... she will help make the wedding of your dreams.

My fiancee and I were wary based on seeing the prices online. But when we came in and talked to Rachael and saw exactly what was included and how much easier planning was going to be on our end, we were so happy. She was more than happy to help, very responsive and patient with our ever changing minds.

I reluctantly first booked with the Hilton, because we were having a "larger" wedding and my fiance preferred it at a hotel. However, since I was planning this wedding from out of town- I am so grateful we selected the Hilton. The provided all the major items and those they did not provide- their preferred vendor list (which I utilized) was also five star! Our event was beautiful and went flawlessly. We initially booked with Sarah- who left the next month- but Rachel was just as great to work with and extremely responsive. I would often get a response to my questions within the hour. She was also very gracious and accommodating- as I realized the week before the event, I had flubbed my final count. Luckily she caught the mistake and was able to fix for the food and tables. My whole family commented on how great the food was and how beautiful it looked. The day of I was very stressed before the ceremony and while waiting to walk out- felt like I was going to pass out. There were several staff "in waiting" and they rushed to get me water and make sure I was ok. All the staff were smiling the whole night and very attentive to make sure I had anything I needed. They placed items in my room and made a romantic and beautiful escape for me and my husband after the event was over. There was another bride having her reception the same night- and although I didn't vocalize it to Rachel- was a bit nervous about seeing another bride in her dress while I was in mine. But I never ran into her the entire night, as Rachel made sure each event was individual and special. I felt the Hilton was a great value for everything they provided and how stress free the actual event was for me.

The Hilton was great to work with. Everything was seamless and I didn't have to worry about a thing!

The Hilton fulfilled all of my dreams with having the perfect wedding!

Sarah was wonderful and I enjoyed working with her. She was professional but friendly and fun. I appreciated her quick response to my questions and solutions to my ideas. The ballroom was beautiful. Knowing that Sarah was "putting all the final touches" in the room made my daughter's' reception much more relaxing and enjoyable. The food was delicious!! I was pleased with the kindness and friendliness that I received from the employees of the Hilton. My only complaint was that not all the gift bags were given to the out of town guests. I supplied a list of names of the guests. Thank you for making my daughter's wedding a very beautiful and special time.

Words cannot even describe how amazing our wedding was at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside! My husband and I had an 18 month engagement and from the very beginning Haleigh and then Sarah were on top of things making sure our day was going to be everything we wanted! When the big day finally arrived it was more than we could have dreamed of! Haleigh and Sarah and the rest of the Hilton Team made everything flow perfectly so Matt and I didn't have to worry about a thing! If anything went wrong, we did not know about it! We have friends and family raving saying it was one of the best weddings they have ever been to and we owe it all to the Hilton Team! If you are considering a wedding here, DO IT! You will not be disappointed!!

Wonderfully kind and helpfull! Skillfully assisted us in planning a beautiful wedding on a small scale. Haleigh is terrific. The settings in the ceremony and reception rooms were awesome. We did not know what to expect on the actual day of the wedding since we had done all of the planning via phone calls and emails.

The Hilton ROCKS!! Haleigh B. Hughes is the BEST!

Haleigh at the Hilton is EVERYTHING! If I could renew our vows and repeat the same exact wedding reception for the rest of my life I would. Danny and I could not be happier with the out come of our wedding reception. My parents are beyond pleased with the magical evening.

Everything was planned out in ONE meeting with Haleigh at the Hilton. It was so fun to sit down with my Mother, Aunt and Haleigh and complete the details of our wedding.

I moved to California in the middle of wedding planning to start a new career and join my fiance. This did not put a dent in wedding planning what so ever. Email correspondence was frequent with the florist, cake decorator and event planning.

I do not use the word perfect very often because I consider myself a perfectionist (especially with little details). Our reception was perfect and I would not change a single detail. Haleigh made the best executive decisions for our reception which I really appreciated. The Hilton housed my family, our reception and life long memories for my husband and I to talk about forever.

My very large family has endless compliments about our reception at the Hilton. Everyone loved the basketball game playing at the bar, the hospitality room stocked with food and drinks, and the beautiful grand ballroom.

My only complaint would be that I cannot rewind time and go back to our reception to party again with my family and friends!!

Haleigh is PHENOMENAL!!! Jay and I are so happy with her professionalism, kindness, and genuine excitement to be helping us with the wedding!! She is truly an asset to The Hilton. I used to live in Wilmington, NC and work on Water St. I used to look at the Hilton and think it was so pretty, but I had never been there. When Jay and I got engaged it was the first place I thought of so I called and made an appointment with Haleigh. We loved the location, but most of all we really liked Haleigh! Without her I would have been a crazy person. Thank you to all of the staff at The Hilton, our wedding was perfect and we owe a large part of that to you (and Haleigh).

Haleigh was so sweet and very helpful. Everything at the Hilton was wonderful and our reception was perfect ! We had an amazing time!

I planned my wedding long distance, and could not have been more pleased with the service that I received from Haleigh, and the Hilton team. All I had to do was tell them what I wanted and they took care of it! You schedule a meeting with the Hilton and your vendors for the same day, and take care of all the details all at once. This can be a little overwhelming. I would suggest doing your research ahead of time as far as theme, decor, etc so that you don't have any major decisions to make the day of the meeting. Haleigh was there to answer my random questions at any time via phone or email. Overall, my experience was wonderful!

Haleigh and the Hilton crew did an amazing job! They took care of everything and we didn't have to worry about a thing on our wedding day. Amazing is all we can say, thank you so much!

Richard and I had the most amazing wedding and reception at the Hilton. We decided on our date early and booked without problems. My parents live out of state and the entire Hilton team worked with them without any problems to pay for the contract. I felt that I could call or email at any time with even the silliest question and would get a quick response. The entire team made us feel like we were a priority even though they had several weddings they were working on. I never felt like I was an after thought. Haleigh and the entire team made our wedding day a dream. From the planning meeting to discuss colors and linens to food tasting. We picked out the material and Haleigh and the team exceeded our expectations by a long shot. Even over a year later, people still talk about how wonderful everything was for our wedding. If given the opportunity to plan our wedding over again, I wouldn't change a thing. I would HIGHLY recommended the Hilton team to anyone planning a celebration big or small!
Thank you again for a perfect day!!!!!!!

Hurricane Irene forced a last minute search for and change to the venue for our wedding reception. The Hilton staff and especially their wedding coordinator Haleigh and their banquet manager George did an incredible job in a very short amount of time. Our guests who knew of the last minute change in venue commented that they couldn't believe that everything was pulled together so quickly and SO WELL! We received wonderful comments from our guests on the food, the professional staff, and the front desk support. One guest said it was the best wedding reception food she had ever had. I highly recommend the Hilton Wilmington Riverside to anyone looking for a successful event and memorable day!

Love love love haleigh and the wedding team at the Hilton. They took what I wanted to the next level!! Professional and responsive for any question I had. They helped me with everything. The package fit my needs and they really went above and beyond. I can't even put into words how great they are. If you are looking to get married in Wilmington, nc....go see the Hilton and haleigh!

Our wedding at the Hilton was wonderful and Haleigh was beyond helpful, she made the wedding and reception, not to mention the planning process, enjoyable. All of the vendors were great and if there were any problems, I never knew about them.

Melissa, the wedding coordinator, is great! She is always on the other end of the phone when you need her. They've got 2 beautiful ballrooms! Best of all everything is included! In the Hilton Package it includes ballroom, cake, flowers/decorations and then a great menu! Everyone that attended the menu said how great the food was and how beautiful the room looked! HIGHLY recommended

Karen and her team are absolutely magnificent! They made our wedding go off without a hitch, and made me feel so special while doing so. Thank you Karen!!

As I do events at my place of employment, this was a Godsend that I didn't have to set up, clean up or worry with details. Meagan and her crew took care of everything. It was definately worth every penny and I would/have recommend/ed this vendor to anyone with a wedding in their future. To the servers, bartenders, setup crew, cooks, chef, and anyone I may have not mentioned...THANK YOU for all you did for my daughters wedding!

Haleigh was our wedding coordinator and did an amazing job. It is nice to have it in someone elses hands when you try to plan everything. On the day of the wedding everything was how we imagined it would be and the food was phenomenal as well as the service. Great Job Hilton!

LOVED having my wedding ceremony and reception at The Hilton! They were awesome to work with and we had such a wonderful time!!

The Hotel Ballast was the perfect backdrop for our wedding day. Karen was the perfect planner and made our day go off without a hitch. Every little detail was perfectly executed and beautiful.

It was great to have everything all in one place.. kind of like one stop shopping.

My husband and I got married here a month ago. We had a beautiful wedding! I received so many compliments on the ballroom decor and food. I gave 4 stars for responsiveness because we did have some difficulty initially reaching someone to make our first payment. However, they were in the process of changing event coordinators. Once we were introduced to Meagan she handled every question or concern; she was amazing to work with. I gave 4 stars for value because when we signed the contract, we were advised to pay for the entire ballroom. This was to avoid another event taking place behind the airwall and causing a distraction. So we took their advise, yet there was still another wedding in the other quarter of the ballroom. Overall, everything turned out perfect. The Hilton staff is very professional and client centered. Meagan went out of her way to make our day perfect!

My wedding was amazing. Megan was very honest and helpful throughout the whole process. And the gifts they give you in your wedding night we’re reslly the extra touch that made me even happier I chose this venue.

We used the Hilton Riverside for guest accommodations. I had no problems setting up the wedding block of rooms, but I had a few guests that had issues upon checking in. I had also dropped of gift bags for my guests to receive upon checking in and everyone received those, which I am very happy about. Overall my experience with the wedding coordination staff was good, but the front desk staff gave my guests a bad taste.

Understood my vision and helped bring it to life. Everyone enjoyed the food at cocktail hour and the reception. Works with good vendors.

The hotel co-ordinator, Melissa Fallis, was extremely helpful and energetic in her approach to our wedding. The ballroom was beautiful and the services the hotel provided were fantastic. The food was good, however we had a few complications with some of our dietary requirement guests which we needed to be a bit more specific on, in hindsight. Overall we were pleased with our choice.

Great location. Price is a little high for catering.

I’m not even sure where to begin. From the total lack of communication, to the event planner being totally checked out and non-responsive and making me miss my entrance, to the surprise charges, to the rude staff- it was terrible. The only positive thing I could say is the food and Kitchen staff were amazing. Biggest disappointed and regret of my wedding- I beg you not to make the same mistake. You will feel like they’re rushing you through enough to take a massive amount of money and move on to the next wedding.