The Dana on Mission Bay Reviews

I can’t rave about our experience at the Dana for our daughter’s wedding enough! Everything went smoothly and that started as we initially contacted the Dana and Christina showed us the spaces! She was quick to respond to my requests. She took care of everything at the venue and had great suggestions on our options for the space for the food and it was truly a magical night! She made us feel comfortable as this whole wedding planning experience was new for us. It was perfect! The venue is stunning, the people who work there were all truly so kind and welcoming to us and to our wedding guests. Everyone loved the beautiful Dana Hotel. We had our wedding reception in the Marina Garden and the lights over the dance floor make for a magical and dreamy space. But the people working the event made it extra special. Thank you for the most memorable wedding experience!
We can’t wait to come back to enjoy more memories at the Dana! We would choose the Dana again all over again! Thank you to Christina and everyone at the Dana for the best memory of our daughter’s wedding!

Christina and the staff at the Dana were the best hosting our wedding! From start to finish, we had great communication and everyone was so friendly and accommodating to our needs! The food was excellent too!
I am always going to recommend this venue to everyone I know getting married!

I can’t say enough about how wonderful the Dana is as a wedding venue. My husband and I got married there two weeks ago and not only did we love it but so did our guests. We initially looked at the Dana because the park has been a special place throughout our relationship but when we toured the hotel we immediately felt like it was the perfect place. Christina (the event coordinator) was so incredibly kind and welcoming and we felt like she genuinely cared about our experience, not just the business. She patiently guided us throughout the planning process with so much kindness and was even there guarding our table to make sure we ate at our reception. The food was delicious and we had so many compliments from our guests on everything from the hotel stay to the bartenders to every little detail. If you are considering the Dana for your wedding you should absolutely go for it! 100%

The Dana was an ideal place to have a San Diego wedding. Having our friends and family be able to stay on-site made everything logistically easy, and we appreciated the multiple avenues the Dana offered for lodging discounts for our guests. The Sunset Lawn ceremony location overlooking Mission Bay was beautiful. The in-house food served at at the event was delicious and The Dana went to great effort sure everyone's dietary needs were taken care of. Specifically, Christina (the Director of Catering) made sure the event ran seamlessly and was an excellent resource throughout the planning process. The Dana's staff were always professional and quick to serve, leading to many compliments from our guests. As the bride and groom, Christina ensured that our needs were taken care of, our preferences were always immediately available to us, and that we had the opportunity to enjoy all the food we selected. The Dana entirely managed food and drinks for the event, and offering multiple venues for the ceremony and reception on-site simplified logistics during the planning process. We strongly recommend using the Dana as a venue if you are looking to get married in San Diego.

The Dana was an incredible venue for a wedding. It was a beautiful setting, we had so many compliments on the food, and they were organized and easy to work with! We would recommend to anyone looking for a venue in San Diego, everything was seamless!

I recently had my wedding here and I can’t say enough good things about this resort. It is absolutely beautiful and all of the workers were very accommodating to me, my family, and all the guests that stayed there. I would highly recommend this for a wedding venue. Not only did I have the most amazing wedding here but Christina, the Dana’s coordinator was so helpful and easy to work with throughout the year of planning. She responded quickly, made as many adjustments as needed, was always nice and professional, and very organized. 10/10 stars from me!!

One of our best choices throughout wedding planning was choosing the Dana. Christina was absolutely amazing from start to end! The food was great, we did the mediterranean buffet. Our wedding was on the sunset lawn and reception was in the garden, we got numerous compliments from guests on how beautiful the venue was! I HIGHLY recommend using the Dana for your wedding venue! Pricing was extremely transparent, communication was excellent, and the service was 5 stars!

My wife and I toured several venues in the Mission Bay area and from the start, we were so impressed with Christina Gold and The Dana. She was extremely thorough throughout the process and she also brought a warmth and soothing energy that calmed our anxieties about the planning process. She also has a great sense of humor and laughed at all of my jokes! In terms of the wedding itself, the location is gorgeous and the team did a fabulous job setting up for the ceremony (Sunset Lawn) and the reception. Many of our guests commented to us on what a great experience they had staying at the hotel and also at our wedding. The price point is very reasonable for the area and we felt like we got great value for what we spent. Perhaps most importantly, everybody loved the food (Italian) and they accommodated our guests with food restrictions. I would strongly recommend The Dana for your wedding or upcoming event!

We can’t express how much we enjoyed working with Christina and The Dana. Our reception went off without a hitch. Christina especially went above and beyond to help us with every aspect of our day. The space was perfect for our small group. The food was good and the staff was more than accommodating. We think The Dana is a beautiful spot to host any event.

The Dana made planning my daughter’s wedding easy, affordable, and gorgeous. I only needed to add flowers and a few other things, and the Dana created absolute wedding perfection. From start to finish, Christina flawlessly guided us through the process. I highly recommend the Dana for all of your wedding needs at a great price.

My husband and I had our dream wedding this summer at The Dana! From the beginning of our journey, Christina (director of catering) was an exceptional resource for us throughout our 1.5-year planning journey.

We had our ceremony in the Tropical Courtyard and reception in the Marina Garden, and the transition between the two spaces felt seamless. Both locations were absolutely breathtaking on their own, and needed very few decorations to complete the vision. The staff was exceptional. Everyone was so friendly and a joy to be around. Our bartender, Brad, is still talked about by our guests 3 months after the wedding!

We had not originally planned on having a buffet for our wedding dinner, but our guests have told us that the food was one of the biggest highlights of the wedding, and everyone with dietary restrictions felt like they had something enjoyable to eat. Food was consistently a hit, from our rehearsal dinner to cocktail hour to the reception!

Some additional highlights were the convenience of the day - it was so nice to just be able to walk from the getting-ready room to the photo spot to the ceremony/cocktail hour/reception. As a bride, the conference room they provided was the perfect side for my wedding party to get ready in the morning. I had 7 bridesmaids and 6 family members cycling through the room for hair and makeup, and there was plenty of seating for everyone. Finally, one of the coolest things about having a summer wedding was that our wedding date coincided with the Seaworld fireworks schedule. Our photographer captured the most amazing photos, thanks to Christina's heads up about the fireworks, and they are some of our favorite photos from the night.

The whole day felt like a fairy tale, and we have the amazing staff at The Dana to thank for that. We strongly recommend The Dana for couples considering hotel weddings. We are so excited to stay at The Dana in the future to relive our wedding memories!

We looked at 20+ venues that were a combination of venues that provided catering along with venues that didn’t provide catering, and on the day of our wedding we were so incredibly happy that we went with the Dana. We wanted an outdoor ceremony + reception on the water as well as a plated meal for guests, and the Dana completely delivered on what we dreamed of, at a cost that was about average of all the venues + catering we had looked at. The food was excellent, the service was great, their wedding coordinator Christina is so easy to work with, and they accommodated a number of requests and details from our side that were not standard. Christina was extremely detailed oriented, and my wife was super excited to see that she had printed out her 40-page mood board and came well prepared to our tasting to talk about our vision. Christina worked with the staff to ensure we could use edible flowers on our plate, dinners, and edible glitter in our drinks. A very over-the-top detail that we wanted to include in our big day. It was a great place for our guests to stay at and a great location to spend our wedding weekend. Overall, we are extremely happy with the decision we made to have our wedding at the Dana… Including all factors cost, service, quality of food, experience with staff, and the overall hotel offering.

The Dana was very professional regarding their clear and concise communication between staff, guests, and our wedding party. Not only were they very flexible given our previous venue pulling out very last minute, but they were very supportive of our wants for what we wanted our wedding to look like.

If you’re looking for a waterfront location at a great value, look no further than the Dana! The Sunset Lawn at The Dana provides a breathtaking view of Mission Bay and served as the perfect backdrop for our wedding ceremony. Guests were stunned at the beautiful views on a sunny August evening. We held the reception in the ballroom which was very convenient for guests to stay on property for the entire wedding. It comfortably seated 170 guests and had plenty of room for guests to party on the dance floor, enjoy dessert just outside in the courtyard, and grab a drink at the bar in the foyer. Christina made the planning process easy and the staff at the Dana were professional, timely, and responsive. Additionally, the Dana is conveniently located near the SAN airport and Old Town train station making it an ideal venue for guests traveling into San Diego. We were beyond thrilled with how everything turned out! We highly recommend!!

We got married at Cuvier Park in May and had our reception at the Dana Ballroom. If you are planning a small 50-60 people reception with appetizers and cake only... you can have half of the ballroom and all the appetizers/drinks catered by the Dana. It is a great deal! Working with Christine was great! She is a professional who knows what she is doing. everything was taken care of; when I got there, I just added some small decorations, and the room looked beautiful. We are very happy with the money we saved and how wonderful it all looks :).

Let me start off by saying that my now-husband and I had thee best wedding at The Dana and the planning process to get to our special day was made even easier by Christina, the venue coordinator. When searching for our wedding venue, we wanted to find a place that was next to the water, had a gorgeous view, amazing food and had access or a partnership to provide nearby accommodations for our guests… The Dana had everything we wanted, and more!

From the first meeting, Christina was THEE BEST! Very welcoming, organized and extremely communicative. There was not one email that went by unanswered. She always kept my husband and me on-track with our wedding preparations and ensured that all of our concerns and desires were met.

Once our wedding day came, everything was AMAZING! Our guests not only raved about the delicious food (special shout-out to the chef and kitchen staff), as well as the cocktails and beverages (another shout-out to the bartending staff), but they could not stop commenting about the Dana overall. The resort staff were very accommodating and professional, and the rooms were comfortable and convenient for our out-of-town guests… I don’t think that we could have asked for anything more from a wedding venue.

Thank you to Christina and the staff for helping us have the wedding of our dreams!

Christina and her team were professional, personable and timely with their communication. My husband and I got married in the Marina Garden and had our reception in the Mission Bay Ballroom. The venue was absolutely gorgeous and the staff really made our dream wedding come to life. All of our guests, including ourselves, had the best time celebrating :)

When we started wedding planning, choosing the venue was the most difficult part for us. But once we toured The Dana and met their amazing staff, we knew we had to have our wedding here, and it was the best decision! Our wedding day was nothing short of amazing thanks to Christina and her wonderful team! Communication is key for me and Christina was the best! Always answering my never ending questions quickly and with so much detail. She was beyond accommodating and so helpful. Many of our guests traveled to our wedding as it was a destination for my side and all of those who stayed at The Dana can not stop raving about it! They are all planning their next vacations. We truly could not have asked for a better location to celebrate our big day. Big shout out to the kitchen as well for absolutely delicious food! Our gusts were so impressed with everything from the appetizers, to dinner, to the late night sliders. Our signature cocktails were a huge hit and the bartenders were so fast! No one went thirsty. A HUGE thank you to Christina for being the most wonderful venue coordinator. Not a beat was missed and everyone could not stop talking about how wonderful all of the staff members were. I could not have done it without you! Truly the day of our dreams and the party of a lifetime. THANK YOU!

We chose the Dana to host our cocktail hour and reception plus us, our family, and members of the wedding party and guests spent the whole weekend at the resort before and after the wedding. Everything was absolutely amazing right from the initial contact with Christina (who made our vision a reality and is a superstar!!) all the way until check out two days after the wedding. I could not have asked for a better place for us to host our wedding weekend. The service was spectacular, the food was amazing, our bartender Brad J was top notch! We received so many great compliments from our wedding party and guests. They totally went above and beyond in every aspect. We can’t wait to return to visit again!

Everyone trying to plan a wedding for 2022 quickly realized how difficult it could be to lockdown a venue – but our gratitude for The Dana hotel and specifically their coordinator Christina Gold began in part because of how responsive and kind they were, despite the busy year. Christina simply never dropped a ball, and she made us feel like we had an ally to planning our day.

Upon a visit to view the resort, we were also struck by how helpful and warm their staff was – from Omar to Paul to Janessa to Vee to everyone on the breakfast crew –it was wonderful to hear our guests talk about how the staff made their stays so comfortable. On top of that, we really appreciated the extra measures they were taking to prevent the spread of Covid, as we had a few immunocompromised and older guests, and other hotels were definitely not in the same ballpark.

Christina coordinated with our other vendors behind the scenes and took a lot of the logistics work off our plate so we could focus on more meaningful tasks. It was a great feeling to walk into our party and have absolute faith that Christina and her team would have everything handled so we could enjoy ourselves – and we did.

It was also great to feel like the Dana’s packages and different options allowed us to prioritize our spending on exactly what we wanted and not on things we didn’t. There was never the dreaded ‘nickel and dimed’ feeling we’d heard about from other couples who faced surprise added costs or missed expectations. The Dana very much made us feel like we were their guests of honor, and that is also exceptional because we saw how many weddings they do!

Finally, the Marina Garden outdoor setting we held our event in was lovely, and our suite’s view of the bay was spectacular. The vibe of the resort is laid back and relaxed. The hotel won a few loyal returnees from our guest list, and we ourselves look forward to making trips there to celebrate our anniversary in the future.

I only have amazing things to say about The Dana on Mission Bay and their wedding and events team! Initially I worked with Adrienne to inquire about the property for our wedding, and she was a joy to work with! She helped set up a venue tour with a friend since I live out of state, and she helped me feel so comfortable and confident with the venue that I booked it without even seeing it!! And then when my husband and I came to see the venue for ourselves, we fell in love. It is seriously feels like your own private oasis when you're there, and all of the wedding venues are beautiful. After my wedding date was contracted, I started working with Christina, who absolutely went above and beyond for every occasion. She managed to help keep us calm during the entire process because she had everything so under control, even despite us having to postpone our wedding and still have it during COVID. I can't thank Christina and her team enough for making sure we had the most beautiful and flawless wedding, better than we could have ever dreamed. We love the Dana and hope to come back to celebrate anniversaries in the future!

My husband and I had our wedding at The Dana on Mission Bay this past January and it was absolutely PERFECT!!! The venue itself is gorgeous. Our ceremony was on the sunset lawn and the view of the bay and the palm trees was breathtaking. Our guests loved the scenery so much. Besides having our wedding at a gorgeous venue, it all wouldn’t have been possible without our venue coordinator Christina Gold. She worked so cohesively with all of my other vendors and my day of coordinator that the day was seamless. She was so quick to respond throughout the whole process, which as a busy bride, I appreciated so much. She helped execute our vision and made it come to life. The catering was absolutely delicious and everyone loved our plated entree selections and tray passed appetizers. Highly recommended The Dana for your future wedding venue!!

I will start and end this review with the same comment..."I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE DANA ON MISSION BAY!" My now wife and I selected The Dana to host our fusion wedding that incorporated both the Hindu and Christian wedding ceremonies, and we nor our guests were disappointed with the accommodations. Aside from the great location, new facilities, free activities, and everything else that comes along with a nice resort, I wanted to highlight just a few reasons why I recommend this venue:

**Communication – Cannot stress this one enough. The Sales Director (our Point of Contact) at the venue was one of the most professional and responsive contacts of any of our vendors. And for being the actual venue, this alleviated a lot of stressing knowing that she would always be there. And when she was not available, the other Sales Director was not only just as responsive, but also just as well up-to-date with our wedding where we didn’t skip a beat. I never had to re-explain anything, and they were on the top of their game.

**Flexibility – Being that we were putting on a fusion wedding, we had lots of changes. From quite a few additional hours needed for the ceremony, to having a horse on premise, to a moving procession (Baraat) along the water, to changes in timeline and vendor setup; the venue was extremely flexible and accommodating. They also provided us with extra storage for our event items, their staff was always helpful and accommodating, and the venue overall provided anything we needed.

**Only 1 Event per Day – This was a HUGE bonus. The Dana only has one wedding per day even though they have multiple ceremony and reception sites. Aside from this being beneficial for our guests, it was great for us as the wedding party since we had the entire grounds at our disposal for our pictures. It was also nice that we were not competing for storage space, or the bridal suite with another party.

**Catering – One thing that I was concerned about with the venue was that they do not allow outside catering. And this was not anything unique about this venue. My only concern was that with a fusion wedding, I was concerned about the quality of the Indian food that they could create. However, not only were my wife and I blown away at the quality and authenticity of the flavors and dishes during our tasting; but my Indian family also reiterated the same after the wedding. And this was not only because the Chef is extremely talented, but he was very in tune to what we needed and wanted. He asked for any specific dishes and recipes, asked for you tube examples of techniques as suggested by my mom, and even provided us options of alternatives. In the end, they nailed it, and this was one of the biggest importance to me.

I could go on and on, but as is clear from the above, I highly recommend The Dana on Mission Bay for your future wedding event. Simply reach out to either Christina Gold or Adrienne Hur…they will take care of you, walk you through the process, and take all your concerns away.

Christina Gold and the powerful team behind her are the real jewels surrounding this venue. Having to plan a wedding from overseas presented enough challenges as it was, looking at a million venues online and then short listing it down to 10 for my fiancé to check out was stress enough but after viewing the Dana (venue number 3) we looked no further! Firstly the Dana’s location was ideal – tucked away by the ocean, near a harbor, gorgeous and picturesque landscaping, a view of the sunset, and great options for a reception both indoors or outdoors …5 stars with that alone. Christina was extremely professional and knew how to promote this place. Having her on board was like having a second wedding planner all included. The look on my fiance’s place after the first viewing said it all and of course the name being similar to mine felt like a sign from above! The Dana’s service was exceptional, their package offerings and pricing were all inclusive and second to none, the food was phenomenal, they were so flexible in meeting our desires, so communicative (trust me I have tons of emails to prove it) and so very supportive, they are worth their weight in Gold! ;-) Highly, highly recommend!!!

Choosing The Dana on Mission Bay for our wedding was the absolute best decision we could have made. The venue is BEAUTIFUL and affordable, compared to other Southern California locations. Christina is phenomenal and basically acts as your own personal coordinator (even though a day of coordinator is required, which is totally worth it, FYI!). The venue grounds are so beautiful and they only hold 1 wedding at a time, therefore, you have access to the entire venue for your wedding for pictures, etc. You can seriously not go wrong choosing this location for your dream day! I wish I could go back and do it all over again!

Thank you! Your staff and venue provided us with the wedding of our dreams!! From beginning to end we felt important and taken care of. Things flowed so well and our guests were very impressed. Christina walked us through each step and was attentive. All requests were met and communication was great.

The team at the Dana was super helpful and attentive. Christina was able to accommodate last minute requests just a few days leading up to the day. We had the best night of our lives!

My husband and I are a bi-coastal couple and once we chosen San Diego for our wedding location, we were searching reception venue after reception venue for the "just right" feel/essence that is San Diego. The Dana on Mission Bay was it! It is perfectly located on Mission Bay and was very close to other San Diego attractions that our out of town guests can get to. Every single guest that arrived for our wedding loved The Dana on Mission Bay. The complete aesthetics of The Dana on Mission Bay was absolutely perfect and I was in love.

We initially had booked and worked with Adrienne, who was very pleasant from the get go. We had no issues with Adrienne, who was professional and friendly, and who went over the top for her customers. We had moved back east for a brief period, and even with that transition, Adrienne was wonderful ensuring things were handled even 3000 miles away. Upon moving back to San Diego, we were introduced to Christina, who also was wonderful & professional. However, during that transition, we felt that our details and logistics that had been settled was lost in translation, which stressed myself and my husband out as we were focused on getting settled back in San Diego, and to finish planning the rest of this wedding.

Christina and Adrienne, and the entire staff was responsive, professional and flexible in working with us, our guests, and our entire vendor team especially since our DJ/entertainment was from the east coast.

Overall, The Dana on Mission Bay delivered our San Diego vibes to our east coast & other out of towner guests. We have received many compliments about our reception particularly the music, wedding food choices, and the ballroom space. The San Diego guests couldn't believe that this place existed amongst the bay. I highly recommend The Dana on Mission Bay for your wedding reception or wedding space needs.

We held our son and his fiancé's wedding rehearsal dinner in The Marina Garden at The Dana on Sept. 28, 2018. After visiting several venues, we could not have been happier to have chosen The Dana. Adrienne, Christina and all the staff were incredible. They had great suggestions, accommodated us at every turn, adhered to our wishes on certain things, the food was VERY good (many of our guests commented on it), and the service before, during and at the end of the evening was outstanding. Everyone was very easy to work with, always expeditiously responding to our communications, and just all in all made this a very stress-free occasion. The staff serving the appetizers and assisting with the dinner, along with the bartenders were so helpful and ready to assist wherever needed. We would highly recommend The Dana on Mission Bay for any upcoming events you may have.

The Dana is amazing. They are the best venue you could ask for. Besides the waterfront location and the beautiful banquet room, the staff is friendly, accommodating, serving, caring and genuinely nice! The first person we met there was setting up the banquet room and he left such an impression of professionalism and care for what he was doing (other venues in this area threw the tables around during set up and didn't even vacuum). It says a lot that he also got married there! The next person we met there was so kind and accommodating. She showed us all around the property and walked us through the packages while we ate there. Then, we met with the catering director. She also was friendly, outgoing and super personable, willing to work with us on what we had in mind for our special day. They stayed on top of communicating with us, negotiating well and continued to present the venue in the best possible light one could ask for. The owners do a good job with creating a team that works together seamlessly and with the customers needs in mind. I love that we chose the Dana and they moreover won us over as lifelong customers! We will be back for in town vacays, anniversary dinners, and just to visit and remember our special day!!!

We are thrilled about our experience planning, and pulling off without a hitch, our son and daughter in law's wedding at the beautiful Dana! The flawless ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception were beyond our expectations! Adrienne, the Director of Catering, was easy and professional to work with. Her ideas were welcomed, her communications were timely, and even when we wanted to add some last minute market lighting to the ballroom, she helped make it happen! Everything was absolutely gorgeous and I can't think of a better setting in San Diego than would have been better than the Dana for our joyous wedding. Bravo Dana! Bravo!!!

We are so happy we chose The Dana on Mission Bay for our wedding venue! Adrienne Hur is amazing to work with and the location is absolutely beautiful. We received so many compliments from our guests and the day went perfectly! The staff is great and service was impeccable. All of our guests also raved about the food! A big thanks to everyone!!

Having our wedding at The Dana was an absolute dream. We had looked at several other venues before selecting The Dana but there was something different about the venue -- not only is it in a beautiful location, but the team and coordinator's on site were so friendly, easy-going and accommodating from the very beginning.

We had a unique wedding set-up at The Dana and Adrienne was always so helpful and flexible as far as answering questions and bending every which way to make sure we could make our visions become a reality. Planning the wedding with Adrienne was such a fun process because she was always willing to work with us and she seemed just as excited as we were about all of our plans. She was always responsive, flexible and kind and every time we met with her, we became more and more reassured that we had chosen the perfect venue.

Our wedding day was everything we could have wanted. All of the staff at The Dana were professional and friendly and we could not be happier with the way everything turned out.

Thank you so very much to Adrienne and the entire staff who helped to make our wedding so wonderful; not only on our wedding day but the entire weekend surrounding the wedding. We are SO happy we chose to get married at The Dana!!

Having our wedding at the Dana on Mission Bay was the very best decision we made! I am thrilled about how our wedding turned out and much of the credit goes to the Dana, specifically Adrienne Hur, the Director of Catering, who helped us to plan the perfect day from when we were just inquiring about the venue through the actual wedding day when she was present the whole afternoon and evening. Adrienne was incredibly responsive to all of my and my family's questions, requests, and concerns. Each time we came to visit or bring a vendor by, she did her best to be there and be part of the meeting. Adrienne is amazing and made the whole wedding planning process so easy and so fun - and she is just a great person to be around!

The Dana is the perfect setting for a wedding - the views are incredible, the hotel and the wonderful staff create a very relaxing, fun, and accommodating atmosphere, and the location is perfect for guests to enjoy all that San Diego has to offer. We were so impressed by the friendliness of the entire hotel staff through the whole experience working with the Dana.

We chose an Italian Buffet for our wedding dinner and the food was excellent. We still have guests raving about the appetizers and late night snacks, too. Using the Mission Bay Ballroom was perfect for the amount of guests we had (199) and we were able to use the ballroom until midnight, which was a perk we did not find at many other venues we looked at in San Diego.

Overall, I HIGHLY recommend the Dana on Mission Bay. Adrienne and her team will help you create the wedding you are hoping for, will offer valuable advice and guidance, and the Dana is such a great atmosphere to gather friends and family.

The Dana was the perfect venue for our wedding. We worked with Adrienne, who was absolutely wonderful and very responsive to all my questions and concerns! The only hiccups we had came with the front desk staff (minor issues) and Adrienne immediately resolved any and all issues that popped up. We used almost all of the different locations (Sunset Lawn for the ceremony, Marina garden and courtyard for pictures, and ballroom for the reception) for the wedding and it was so nice to be the only wedding at the venue on that day. All of our guests raved about what a great time they had and how beautiful the venue was. I can't recommend this venue enough.

My husband and I went to the Dana as another venue to check out before deciding where we would have our wedding. We fell in love and decided right then to book. We just got married 2-25-17. I can not express enough how happy we were with this decision.

Adrienne was our coordinator and she is amazing! She was so helpful from start to finish and so professional. I was never stressed and she was always on top of everything. She went over every detail and everything was perfect. The food we choose was buffet and choose our options. It was delicious and our guests raved about how good all the food was. We also choose to do late night snacks which was a hit for our guests.

Our ceremony was in the marina garden and it was magical. The reception in the ballroom turned out to be so beautiful. When I walked in to look before the guests arrived I was blown away. We also had the bayside conference room for myself and my girls to get ready in. It was spacious and great lighting for my makeup artist.

The staff was so great during our event and the whole week prior as most of our guests stayed at the hotel. All my guests expressed what a beautiful venue this was for a wedding and it truly was. I was so happy with our experience. Brides always say something will go wrong and to just go with it. my wedding went off flawlessly and I believe its due to the amazing venue and staff. I wish the night could last forever.

The venue is absolutely gorgeous. The staff worked closely with us to accommodate all of our needs - even if it meant making VERY last minute changes.

We got married at the Dana in the Marina Garden and let me just say, it was gorgeous! The weather was perfect, the views were breathtaking, and the ceremony was like a dream. The sales and catering manager, Adrienne, was so helpful and responded to all of my questions in a timely manner. We stayed in the Garden view suite and it was perfect for the bridal dressing room and our honeymoon night. We had a view of the park and the bay! Our rehearsal dinner was held on site at The Firefly restaurant. The food and service was amazing! Oh, and their cappuccino's are a must have!! Most of my wedding guests stayed here and loved the property. My parents were even upgraded to a bigger suite upon check-in. The overall experience was great!

Amazing Wedding at Great Hotel!
We loved having our wedding at the Dana Hotel. All different locations at the venue are beautiful and look amazing in pictures. Adrienne, the Director of Catering, is very responive, organized and a pleasure to work with. She was always available to answer questions and made sure everything was exactly how we wanted for our big day. We had a stunning outdoor ceremony overlooking the bay, a garden cocktail hour and gorgeous reception overlooking the marina. Our guests loved the place and the food at the wedding. We recommend the Dana to all couples who want to have a romantic, elegant and beautiful outdoor wedding!

The Dana on Mission Bay made our wedding day dreams come to life. It was important to us to select a venue where we could have all of our events and our guests could stay for the weekend without travel to the ceremony and reception, as we had many out of town guests. We were able to do this at The Dana, and give our guests a San Diego vacation resort experience. Catering Managers Adrienne and Danielle were professional and responsive. On the day of the wedding, the staff hosted a high quality night of dinner and drinks. The food at both our cocktail hour and dinner was outstanding. The executive chef took our feedback and customized a few appetizer options for us that we enjoyed immensely. Our guests enjoyed the campus-like atmosphere of the resort and the staff went out of their way to make sure everyone enjoyed themselves. Our only issues had to do with the phone-only room reservation system when our guests booked their rooms - several guests did not get added to our guest list to receive the discounted wedding rate until we noticed it ourselves, but our Catering Manager was able to make the corrections. Once on the property, we were taken care of like celebrities. We highly recommend The Dana, especially for destination-style weddings.

My husband and I had such an amazing experience booking the Dana as our wedding reception venue. I was planning my wedding from out-of-state, and the head catering manager, Addy, was so responsive, patient, and helpful to any question I had. It really made the planning process soooo easy. I probably have over 100+ emails with Addy discussing things from table linens to food choices, so for her to give me the time and energy in making me a happy bride especially since I couldn't just drive to the Dana to see things for myself was priceless in itself; I would give more than 5 stars for responsiveness and professionalism alone if I could.

The food was absolutely amazing, the bridal suite and honeymoon suite were wonderful, the ballroom was a stunner and impressed all of our guests, and the views!! Gosh, we couldn't get over the views. Since we were coming from out-of-state, we wanted our wedding to give the totally relaxing vibes of San Diego, and Dana was the perfect choice. Other venues with a view were so expensive, but I thought the Dana prices were absolutely reasonable and fair for the level of service and accommodations you get! You won't regret booking here at all!!

The Dana was perfect for our reception. I like how the ballroom has a modern look to it. The location is by the bay so we were able to take some awesome sunset pictures. The food was on point. We got many compliments about how good the food was. We also added one of their late night snack options which I thought was a cool addition to the reception and our guests loved it.

Adrienne, Director of Catering, was awesome and so helpful. She friendly and professional. She responded to my emails and phone calls in a timely manner. I can't thank her enough for being so kind and listening to me vent during one of my appointments with her.

Overall, I loved my experience at The Dana!

The Dana was awesome! They helped with everything! It rained 30 minutes before my wedding. When I decided to still do the ceremony outside, they rounded up all of the umbrellas they could find just in case but were also ready to move the ceremony inside within 20 minutes. They did a great job!

We got married this September in San Diego and The Dana on Mission Bay made our dream wedding a reality.
The ceremony site was simply breathtaking!!!
Rachel, the Sales & Catering Manager was great to work with. From the get-go she was extremely helpful. She responded to all our needs in a timely manner and was very flexible. On the day of the wedding she went ABOVE AND BEYOND what was required of her to ensure that we could enjoy the wedding without having to worry about the arrangements. She and her staff knew exactly what needed to be done with no prompting from us and everything ran smoothly and seamlessly from start to finish. Tim, the Banquet Manager was also super helpful! The food at the wedding was awesome! We had asked for a few changes to the menu and the chef Eric worked with us and had everything we had asked for.

Rachel was great to work with and very responsive despite her busy schedule. The rest of the staff -front desk, housekeeping, management, drivers and event coordinators - were always pleasant and so eager to help and provide outstanding customer service. The accomodations were excellent and alowed for our large group to fully enjoy this wonderful weekend with no worries.

Rachel from the hotels catering team was wonderful! She helped us with everything we needed. The hotel food was great and very helpful staff. When I was in need of a podium for my service they provided it, and when I felt it was ugly and requested it be covered with a table cloth they did that as well and made it look beautiful! If i could do it all over again I would!!

Beautiful location for a wedding. Our guests have been raving about amenities and ease of attending. Shuttle from airport, lovely rooms, deep sea fishing/whale watching across the street, bonfire facilities overlooking bay & much more created fun for all. Food & drinks at the firefly terrific. Brunch morning after in the Bayside Conference Room was just the right ending to wonderful week. Rachel Averella responded to our every need and made so many helpful suggestions. She is a true professional. The Dana provides perfection for a once-in-a-lifetime experience . . . or a getaway anytime.

Rachel and everyone at the Dana went above and beyond to make my wedding amazing and special! We had a very large group staying at the hotel and they took care of all of us. Would recommend this place to anyone planning a San diego wedding!

Rachel and her staff did such a great job for our wedding on June 28, 2014. When she found out there was a wedding at a nearby park, she worked her magic to ensure that our wedding was priority. Out of all the locations that we scoped out in Mission Bay, I found this place had the most modern ballroom and the staff was very accommodating to our needs. There was no cake cutting fee and everyone enjoyed the venue and its location. The guests really enjoyed the filet mignon. We had 220 guests and it didn't feel crowded at all. Thank you so much Rachel for everything!

This Venue is amazing!!! Beautiful ceremony sites. On site restraunts to do your rehearsal dinner at. This place has AMAZING food. I got so many compliments on how good the food was, how beautifully set up it was and how all around it was one of the best weddings that many have attended! Rachel the banquet coordinator was constantly in touch with us. Keeping up with us from the day we booked till the day we married. Answering all my questions promptly. I highly recommend this venue to anyone looking to get married. My wedding day was more than what I dreamed of. It was perfect in every way. Thank you to The Dana Hotel

The Dana could not be more perfect for us. Right when you arrive, you feel like you are on a vacation and every muscle in your body relaxes. We searched high and low for ANY venue on the water all the way down the coast. There was no other place that had the elegance but laid back feeling that The Dana has and you cannot even find a place with this kind of price point. The options that they have available were so wonderful and it was a pleasure to work with Keith. COMPLETELY STRESS FREE. He responded to my emails sooo fast and answered everything with such detail and precision. The wedding day was perfect and all of our guests feel the same way about The Dana. Elegant and relaxing. Everyone had an incredible time,the drinks were great, the food was delicious, the staff was incredible, and everything went perfect. If you have not looked at The Dana, go look! You will not be disappointed!! To Keith and all of the Catering Staff, Thank you for allowing our dreams to become a reality.

The DANA on Mission Bay had great food with large size portions. All of the guests really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere at the DANA, and of course we did too!!!

We had our wedding at this venue in early May 2025, and I wouldn't change a thing! I'll break down my experience for those currently weighing options:

The absolute brightest highlight: Christina Gold (the Director of Catering) is an absolute godsend. She will be your point of contact from the initial inquiry, all the way until the day of. She is extremely sweet yet professional. Her years of event management experience are evident, as is her passion for her work. She answered all of my questions quickly and made me feel so much better every time the bride-to-be panic started kicking in. Rain actually popped up in the forecast and Christina was prepared with a backup plan (which ended up not being necessary- thankfully the rain held off until later that night).

Why we chose this venue: From the start, our intention was to have a very intimate wedding (40 people, including the bridal party). This venue offers several different event spaces, but also has a specific small wedding area that was very budget friendly (the Marina Cove Garden and Marina Cove Room). Even with many different options for ceremony/reception locations, Christina made it very clear they only allow one event to occur at the Dana at a time. This means no other event will detract resources or interfere with yours. Additionally, this venue provides all of the catering and bar services needed, with various packages to choose from. Christina explained all of the options to us and helped us pick the best fit for us. There are minimums that need to be met, but she was very clear on pricing. There were never any surprises as we got billed. This venue also provides all the tables, chairs, servers, parking- a whole list of extras! It really helped simplify the vendors/moving pieces I had to worry about. Additionally, this venue offers a complimentary suite for the newlyweds, options for get-ready rooms, and options for discounts on rooms for guests. We didn't end up having any guests stay (our only out of town guests couldn't make it due to life events), but the option was there. For a Saturday wedding during "peak" wedding season, it came out to around $10,000 for 40 people (venue, catering, and bar).

The day-of experience: Our wedding started at 11:30am, so we had a very early start to the morning. We ended up using the Bay View Conference Room for hair and makeup, and it was beautiful, spacious, and most importantly: ready for us at 6am. We ended up needing a hair dryer, and the woman at the front desk was able to have one delivered to us (hallelujah). Once ready, the hotel provided a free van service to shuttle us to and from picture locations, which my girls and I appreciated immensely! The hotel provided a bar tender and waiters/service staff for the cocktail hour/reception events, and everyone was so professional and kind! The complementary suite for us newlyweds was gorgeous. The staff had set up some leftover cake and some bubbly on ice for us to celebrate in private (super cute touch!).

Another thing to note: the bar package we decided on was an open bar with a cap. The cap we agreed on was an estimate of what we thought our guests would consume. If the cap was met during the event, we would be consulted on if we wanted to increase the cap or convert to a cash bar. We actually received a $600 refund, as we didn't quite hit the anticipated total. There was no way for me to know how much alcohol we went through, so I was pleasantly surprised at not just the refund, but also the honesty.

The only very small downside was the food was simply alright. My husband and I agreed it was perfectly fine, though. We've never had amazing wedding food.... We chalk it up to large batches of food leading to a bit of compromise on quality. We didn't eat at the restaurant (Firefly), so I'm not sure how the food is on a single-serving basis.

If I had to do it all over again, I would absolutely trust The Dana (and Christina) with my wedding!

Just had my wedding at the Dana this weekend. It was awesome!

After lots of research my husband and I decided The Dana on Mission Bay was the perfect venue for us to have our wedding ceremony and reception at. On our first meeting we met with the Director of Catering, Adrienne Hur. Immediately we liked her and she was able to assist with all our questions. During our second visit we got the opportunity to meet the Sales Manager, Caitlin Mincer. Caitlin helped us throughout the rest of the wedding planning. Caitlin and Adrienne helped me so much along the way with all the planning that I can’t express how happy I was with their services. Even the last two weeks before the big day Caitlin was there to answer even my smallest and silliest questions.The Dana is the perfect venue to celebrate your marriage. The team is great and the venue and resort is beautiful. All of our out of town guests were impressed with the resort. Oh yea, did I mention they also gave us a 2 night stay at the hotel. We loved everything about The Dana... the food, the service, the prices and even the wedding bartender! Highly recommend them for the perfect San Diego wedding. Thank you so much!

We were on a budget and never thought we could afford such a beautiful venue of having a bayside wedding in San Diego. We met Rachel from the Dana and she help us make our dream wedding possible. She worked with our budget and was very helpful and responsive in coordinating our wedding.

The Dana on Mission Bay was the perfect ceremony & reception venue for our wedding. The ceremony site is stunning and the Mission Bay ballroom offers an elegant atmosphere for any size reception under 300 people. My husband and I chose The Dana because we wanted a waterfront wedding without breaking the bank. The Dana offers a lot of extras for the price. Our ceremony site was very reasonable compared to all the other hotels in the area and we did not have to compromise on waterfront views. The cocktail & reception had so much included in the per person price. Cocktail hour with hosted bar was included along with tray passed appetizers. Dinner included wine for all of our guests and the champagne toast as well. The day of our wedding The Dana staff was amazing. They had everything set up on time and were extremely professional and polite. We had a unique reception set up that was done perfectly to our expectations. We had a kings or honor table for the my husband and I along with our wedding party. It was a long table of 16 in the center of the room with the other round tables of our guests surrounding us. Our wedding party got to sit with their dates and it was nice to be surrounded by all of our guests. The Dana set everything up to perfection. They worked well with all of our other vendors and the day was perfect. For the money, The Dana is one of the best sites for a waterfront wedding in San Diego. The only reason I did not give them 5 stars is because their catering manager isn't the most friendly of all the vendors I worked with. She was very professional, but when you're getting married you want to work with someone who is happy and excited to work with you. It would have been nice to have a bit more personality from her, but The Dana itself is such a great wedding site that we were willing to overlook the catering managers lack of personality. At least she was professional and everything went off without a hitch.

We were so happy with our choice to hold our wedding at the Dana. It's a gorgeous venue, perfect for a couple who loves an outdoor setting right on the water, with both the bay on one side and the marina on the other. We took full advantage by holding our ceremony on the sunset lawn and our reception in the marina garden. Everything looked amazing, and the staff did a great job with setup. The food was amazing, and we got tons of compliments. It's a great value for the setting! Catering manager Adrienne Hur did an excellent job and we were very happy working with her.

We truly had an amazing wedding experience at the Dana. From planning the wedding w/ Addy Hur, to the actual event w/ David Hopper our Captain for the evening, to our bar tender Patty Rainsville the experience couldn't have been any better. Everyone at the hotel seems to love where they work and it truly shows. Each person we encountered went above & beyond to make all of us feel special. The only issue we had was that the food was not very hot when it was served, but we did have a late afternoon to evening wedding outside in December - so we can't complain to much. It was still very good! A wonderful experience.

My husband and I picked the Dana because we really wanted a waterfront location that wouldn't eat up our whole wedding budget (cough, cough, Hotel del, I'm talking to you). They really give you a lot for your money. Packages include appetizers and cocktails at cocktail hour, wine with dinner, cake-cutting, etc. They usually charge for parking but with a little wheeling and dealing, I got them to throw this in for free. Yes, they charge for a getting-ready room and an additional charge for ceremony site, but I found this to be pretty standard at all the San Diego sites I looked at.

Keith was very easy to work with and was very responsive in handling problems. A week or two before the wedding we realized I was going to be a little under my food and beverage minimum so we ordered extra apps, late night snacks, and a bigger bar tab to make up the difference.

The staff did a great job at setting everything up and the room looked beautiful. You just can't beat the lawns, gardens, and bay backdrops for your pictures.

I have a couple complaints: the food didn't taste as good as it did at our tasting. It was awesome at the tasting so we had high expectations. It was only ok at the actual wedding. They also gave away my getting-ready room to a conference a couple days before the wedding. To make up for it, Keith gave me an extra suite for 2 nights so it worked out fine. And finally, they booked a conference in my ballroom on the same day so my coordinator only had a tiny window to get everything set up. I'm pretty sure they had to set up the room while my guests were right outside for cocktail hour. Luckily, my coordinator, Gina Hundley, was amazing so no one noticed and the room was ready on time. However, if I hadn't had her help, this would have been a major freak out!

All in all, Keith and the Dana gave us a great day. My guests loved it!

Our daughter's wedding and reception were held at The Dana, and we would choose this venue again in a heartbeat! BEAUTIFUL, good food, with a professional, turn-key operation that suited our needs perfectly. Only surprise: We had a no-host bar after the cocktail hour and two bottles of wine that were included with the meal, and did not meet the $1,000 minimum, so we had to pony up some dollars at the end. If we were to do it again, we would probably opt to add another bottle of wine per table and forgo the bar.....

We stumbled upon this site when there was a wedding going on and we had a good look of the setup. It was totally what we had been dreaming of. From day 1 till the day of, Keith, the banquet manager had been very helpful and quick in responding our emails ( within an hour) and fixing the problems if there were any. Everyone was amazed with the venue, both the Sunset Lawn and the Mission Ballroom. The bartender mixed really good drinks (we even had our own bridal and groom's drinks), and the filet mignon was cooked so well that night, it melted in you mouth. We also get the chicken and halibut since we had to pay the same price as the filet mignon no mater what dishes you choose anyway. We totally forgot that there was also fireworks in the summer at SeaWorld which located right next to the hotel. So on that night there was fireworks right in front of us to our pleasant surprise and some even thought we arranged that. LOL! We have to give another star for the waiting staff as one of them offered to warm up our food after we came back to the seats from socializing with our guests. The mission ballroom has these big floor to ceiling windows which overlook the pier, and it looked so gorgeous during sunset. I didn't use any chair covers as their chairs already look great by itself. The only downside is that you or the guests have to pay for the parking ( $5 per car) and so we decided to host that for the guests. Also, I didn't rent the conference room for getting ready because it costs too much money but Keith was great enough to get us the honeymoon suite ready by 2 pm, so we took pictures and get dressed there hours before the ceremony which started at 5:30pm. Overall, everyone had a good time, things went really well and it's absolutely an amazing place to have your wedding.

We booked a block of rooms for our guests at the Dana on Mission Bay. Overall we had a great experience. The rooms were comfortable and well appointed. The location is just stunning, and has a gorgeous view of Mission Bay from anywhere on the property! As the bride I was upgraded to a large suite, which was VERY helpful!! I don't think I would have had enough room for everything in a regular room. We had a fantastic view. The staff was superb and very accommodating! They went out of their way to ensure we were comfortable and taken care of. Catering even brought up a tray of champagne glasses and an extension cord for us. The bartenders in the restaurant were friendly. They even stayed open a little longer for us when our entire bridal party popped in after the wedding. My only complaint, and its a small one, is that the room blocking was slightly confusing. My mother was managing the room block for our party and was in contact with the hotel, but somehow many of our guests slipped through the cracks and were either not counted towards the block or did not get the block pricing. The Dana was very convenient to our ceremony and reception location (across the street!), which was perfect for all of our out of town guests. The hotel was booked to capacity the weekend we were there with a conference and other events, however there was always enough room for us in the restaurant and at the pool, etc. I would recommend the Dana to any bride that is getting married in San Diego.

We are locals to San Diego so we looked at a few places all around the county. I really wanted an outdoor reception. This venue caught our eye because with such pricey options in SD it is a little more affordable while being a gorgeous setting. We had our ceremony and reception at this venue, the reception being in the marina garden and it is beautiful and romantic. The venue coordinator is very responsive and helpful, a day of coordinator is required but with both of them behind the scenes I had full trust that the day would go smoothly. The food was excellent and the catering and bar staff were very friendly! We will definitely come back on our anniversary to relive such a gorgeous day. Highly recommend!

This is going to be a mixed review, so I put the pros and cons lists below for everyone to be able to make an informed decision! My wedding was the best day of my life (July 2024), but I would never choose to stay at the hotel again. If I did it over, I would definitely choose this venue again, but I would do my room block at one of the excellent hotels nearby for kinder staff and better service.

PROS:

- The Marina Garden at The Dana is by far the best outdoor reception venue I toured in San Diego. A lot of other waterfront hotel venues are more expensive, and their reception areas do not have a view of the water. The Marina Garden has a gorgeous view of sunset on the docks which made for perfect pictures. The grass was green, and the white rose bushes were blooming. It was amazing!
- The venue also comes with so much! I loved the chiavari chairs they offered, and I didn’t have to rent tables, dishes, tablecloths, etc. They even had great seating and table options for the cocktail hour, so I didn’t have to have rental for that either. Christina helped us do a lot of different things to personalize our wedding and make it feel like ours!
- The catering team at the Dana was awesome. Everyone raved about our food (we went with Polynesian buffet), especially the ginger beef. I’ve never had better wedding food, honestly. I’d say the only issue we had was some of the staff being rude to the groom and bridal party. A bit strange for such an expensive event!
- Everything ran smoothly with the catering and reception. Nothing was late, passed apps were delicious, and everyone loved the drinks. People commented that the drinks were quite strong compared to the small pours you might get at other weddings.
- The bathrooms were technically portables, but they were super nice! I think there was only a line once during the night because it was a transition time. But you could always walk to the lobby to use other bathrooms.
- The location of The Dana is so perfect. It’s close to everything in San Diego, so not everyone needs to stay at the hotel. It’s easy to get to from anywhere, unlike a lot of waterfront venues in La Jolla or North County!
- In terms of the cost for what you are getting, The Dana is much more affordable when you put it next to comparable venues. You really are getting so much for your money here.

CONS:

- We held our ceremony on the grass overlooking the bay on the Sunset Lawn. If you care a lot about your ceremony, I would not recommend this venue. For me, it was worth it because the reception venue was so amazing. There was trash everywhere The Dana property - all behind the seating for guests. Like old food that had been dumped out there, it was disgusting. I didn’t see it until it was too late!
- There were a ton of people on the public part of the grass, playing music and having parties. It was me and my husband who had to go around asking people to move so that we could take some portraits on the water.
- When we toured the venue, Christina had shown us that when she comes in the morning the day of the wedding, she sets up a bunch of chairs and blankets out front to avoid this issue… basically to stake out the space. But Christina couldn't make it the day of our wedding. Whoever covered for her, did not seem to do this as there were a lot of people set up right out front. If someone had just let us know that Christina wasn’t there, I would’ve had my friends and family go out and stake out spots to avoid all the chaos, but no one let us know.
- We had a ton of issues with the hotel in general. Only some of the rooms are redone - not all of them. The rest are old and rundown. The staff was rude to my family (paying tens of thousands of dollars to this place for our wedding). We heard that the staff at the hotel was rude to many of our guests staying there. The staff that was not rude, simply had no idea what was going on, as if they’d just been hired.
- The room block was a mess, and led to a lot of issues leading up the wedding. It ended up being more expensive to book with the room block a year in advance than it was to book without the room block a week before the wedding. Yikes!
- When we first put down our deposit, Christina had told us that we would be able to us USD family discounts on our room on top of the room black discounts. She later (once we paid our deposit) told us this wasn’t correct information.
If I had to do this again, I would get a room block at any other hotel for my guests. I would not stay at this hotel ever again due to all the issues we had with them. I do not recommend staying here, especially for the price point on a summer weekend.
- One big thing that caused a lot of unnecessary stress was that the bridal suite was not ready for us. We were assured it would be ready early. Instead, the staff seemed to clean all the other wedding guests’ rooms first (some of them got early check-ins), and did not clean the bridal suite early. They knew when our wedding rehearsal was, but the bridal suite was not ready until after our rehearsal started. So we brought all of our stuff to my parents’ room, got ready there, went to our rehearsal and Welcome Party, and then had to drag all of our stuff to the bridal suite and check into our room at about 10:00pm the night before our wedding. Again, if someone had just told us that our bridal suite would not be ready early like they said.. we would’ve made other arrangements. Seems strange that you’d have your staff clean all the other rooms first before cleaning the bridal suite. 

This place is a gorgeous place to get married. And it is also very reasonable for the type of location. I think they just are in the business to make money though. We spent a lot of money for the entire week of being there, yet they did not want to comp our parking or give us a break on any of the costs for the wedding. We had to pay for the room to get ready in, which I would think would be given to you. Their service the day of was wonderful though. Everything went very smoothly. The only thing I would have thought would have also been included is the coordinator. The fact that they are such a highly known wedding destination, you would think they would give you a coordinator to work with for the day of and on the rehearsal, but no. We ended up doing it all ourselves. Thankfully it went just fine!

Hotel staff not nearly as professional as wedding staff (front desk / restaurant).. Most unprofessional experience though was learning they wanted to use our professional photography for marketing purposes without asking or offering comps.