Our experience hosting our wedding at the Chicago Athletic Association was nothing short of fantastic. Darcey and her team were incredibly responsive and helpful. Anytime we had a question or concern it was addressed promptly. At our tasting, we were blown away by the quality and choice of menu options we had. Both the food and wine were amazing. Our guests have had such wonderful things to say about the evening. They raved about how good the food was and how attentive the staff were for allergies/food restrictions. The entire dinner service was fantastic. We had our reception and ceremony in the White City Ballroom and our cocktail hour in the Madison Ballroom. Both ballrooms are beautiful and we cannot wait to see our photos from our photographer because our portraits had beautiful backdrops all around the CAA. I could go on and on about how wonderful the experience was. If you’re considering hosting your wedding at the CAA, you definitely should do it - you will not regret it!

Working as a wedding planner for the first time at the Chicago Athletic Association was an unforgettable experience, and I cannot recommend this venue enough. From start to finish, the team exceeded every expectation and provided a level of service that made the wedding truly exceptional.

Hannah, the catering manager, was an absolute joy to work with. Her professionalism, prompt communication, and attention to detail were instrumental in ensuring everything went off without a hitch. The on-site team—Mary, Teresa, and Hugo—were equally incredible. Their dedication, teamwork, and calm demeanor made even the most complex logistics seem effortless.

The venue itself is nothing short of breathtaking, with its historic charm and modern touches that provide a unique and elegant atmosphere. And let me tell you about the food—every single dish was outstanding, and our guests couldn’t stop raving about how delicious and beautifully presented everything was.

Whether it was the seamless coordination, the warm hospitality, or the exquisite cuisine, the Chicago Athletic Association delivered on every level. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such an incredible team, and I cannot wait to return for another event. If you’re considering this venue for your wedding or special event, don’t hesitate—your experience will be nothing short of amazing.

Thank you to the entire team at the Chicago Athletic Association for making this wedding truly memorable!

Shaun Rajah
Events by Shaun Rajah

Thank you SO much to the kind staff at the Chicago Athletic Association for their hand in making our wedding such a special day! We would like to specifically thank the event coordinator, Budi, who's professionalism and industry expertise always made us feel like we were in good hands (which we certainly were!) We are so thankful to him and his wonderful team.

Every visit we had at the CAA during the planning process was such a joy! The staff is welcoming, accommodating, and friendly. From our initial visit, to the tasting, to the final walk through, each and every interaction we had was a pleasure! Every corner of this hotel has its own bit of history, and the intention behind the its beautiful restoration is felt.

On the day of the wedding, the Budi and his team did not miss a single detail! They took great care of our guests, and handled all of our special requests with care. The synchronized dinner service was perfection, and we are still getting compliments on how amazing the food was!

This beautiful hotel will always hold a special place in our hearts! I cannot recommend working with the CAA enough!

The Chicago Athletic Association is hands down the most incredible venue on the planet. We had the most luxurious, beautiful and magical wedding experience, and we could not be more ecstatic about the entire day. We worked with Hannah, who was kind, amazing, attentive, and incredibly professional. She is an absolute dream to work with, and made our planning experience and wedding day perfect. From the tour, tasting, and the day itself, Hannah was so incredible to work with and made everything a seamless and easy experience. The staff at the CAA made us feel like royalty throughout our entire wedding experience. We are so grateful for everything, and could not be happier with how beautiful our day was.

Words cannot even describe how amazing Chicago Athletic Club was as our Wedding Venue. When we asked for something, they went above and beyond, for even the most simple requests. Hannah made our day so easy and effortless, we both felt incredibly lucky to work with this team. We had a big wedding, with lots of requests and they accommodated all of them. Food, venue and hotel was amazing. Also, if you are looking for an LGBTQIA+ friendly vendor look no further. Can’t wait to stay for our anniversary❤️

My daughter's wedding at Chicago Athletic Association can only be described as a fairytale. She had toured many venues and fell in love with CAA the moment she saw it. The Madison Ballroom was the perfect spot for the cocktail hour, and the White City Ballroom was absolutely STUNNING for dinner and dancing! The views of Millennium Park, the lake, and fireworks were breathtaking! We have had many guests tell us that it was the best wedding they have ever been to! The food was phenomenal and we loved that our guests were able to choose their meal tableside. But the thing that really sets CAA apart is the people...Hannah and Betty were so incredibly helpful and patient (as the mother of the bride and this being my only daughter, I asked a MILLION questions). They helped guide us throughout the process and gave us suggestions that we didn't even think were possible. They continued to follow up with us throughout the process and were always wonderfully responsive. They always made me feel comfortable to ask questions and make changes. They were very accommodating with the special late night snacks we wanted to bring in, some special signature cocktails, as well as décor including a very large mirror for the bride and groom's seating chart. I would highly recommend Chicago Athletic Association and especially working with Hannah and Betty 10/10! It truly was an incredible experience from start to finish!

The Chicago Athletic Association staff helped make my wedding day as seamless as possible. They were so attentive - making sure the bride and groom were always taken care of. The tableside service, the gorgeous ballroom ambience, hospitable staff throughout the building, and incredible food make the hotel stand out among others. Highly recommend to all future wedding couples!

Please consider hosting your wedding at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel - I PROMISE you will have the best weekend of your life.

We hosted our entire wedding weekend at CAA 11/26-11/28/2021: rehearsal dinner at Cindy's, getting ready hotel suites in the morning (Millennium King for girls, Founder's for guys), TopGolf suite on our wedding morning, ceremony in the Madison Ballroom, cocktail hour at Game Room, reception in White City Ballroom, late-night Shake Shack delivery, and brunch the next morning in the Madison Ballroom. Each step of the way, we had the most incredible, knowledgeable, and responsive staff assisting us from our initial Zoom tour (we booked our wedding from out of state during lockdown if that speaks to the level of trust we had in this hotel!) through the last second of our wedding weekend. I cannot emphasize how wonderful the communication was with all of the staff from start to finish and I found that to be quite unique to this hotel during our wedding venue search.

To begin, the location of the hotel cannot be beaten. CAA has the most beautiful views of Millennium Park and the city overall by far. It is also convenient to get to the hotel itself. There is valet parking for guest convenience in case some need to drive in, easy to take public transportation here, and it is walkable to and from many popular areas of the city.

Next, the hotel itself is visually stunning. It is the coolest mix of historic, gothic, and ornate with a modern twist due to its' renovation/reopening in 2015. I highly recommend the hotel during the holiday season since their holiday decor is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Additionally, the view of the gorgeous, huge Christmas tree at Millennium Park adds to the magic! I stayed in two different hotel rooms, a standard guest room the night before the wedding and the Millennium King Suite the night of the wedding (which was also our getting ready suite). Both rooms were very clean, comfortable, and had all the amenities I could need. Depending on the location of your hotel room, your view out of the window may vary significantly (as would be the case in any hotel) which may affect how dark your room may be at baseline. Some rooms have very little natural light due to the particular location in this historic building and this is something I wanted to note, but it did not impact my experience at all. The bedroom in Millennium King Suite had some of the best natural lighting in the entire hotel (and obviously incredible views as it overlooks Millennium Park), so if this is important to you I highly recommend this room.

What brings all of these things together is the staff and service at the hotel, it is nothing short of incredible! Kelsey did nearly everything for us during the lockdown and ensured we had a smooth booking process after the venue we previously booked went into foreclosure, Kathryn assisted us with our room blocks and put our mind at ease with each part of that process, Budi was our wonderful catering manager and answered all of our questions in a timely fashion (he also ensured we had the best wedding weekend ever!), Mary made sure we were set up for success with food and drink on the morning of our wedding and brunch, and the banquet captains were nothing short of incredible in helping our wedding flow perfectly. Everyone from the valet employees and concierge to the chef truly wanted us to have a perfect weekend and it showed.

Chef Juan Hernandez curated the most incredible tailored menu dishes based on my husband and I's favorite foods. We could not stop talking about how amazing the food was at our tasting, and our guests had the same reaction on our wedding night! We will remember this forever.

I have nothing but positive things to say about the hotel and the most INCREDIBLE things to say about our experience during our wedding weekend. This hotel will forever be home to us now and we cannot wait until the next time we get to stay there!

The CAA is truly Chicago's historic gem! Their expertise and service hosting a wedding event is so seamless. Highly highly recommended.

When Chicago Athletic Association first opened its door, I did a tour with the Chicago Architecture Center and fell in love with the White City Ballroom. The lighting, deco details of the ceilings and fireplaces, and view of this space is GORGEOUS. I immediately asked one of the CAA representatives if it was accepting reservations for weddings (despite being single at this time). A few years later with a fiancé now in tow, we toured CAA as a potential venue. We were greeted by Budi Tanzil and it was from the first interaction we felt completely at ease and like we had known him a while. He answered all our questions and was able to accommodate our random requests. I can’t emphasize how crucial Budi became as part of our wedding team! Another person we want to highlight and rave our praises about Hugo Martinez!!! We ADORE him- he is one of the Banquet Captains and completely led the way when various things that occurred during the day (i.e., we needed to photograph at another location inside due to rain and he ushered people to the side). Additionally, you can see the passion he has for his work and how much he enjoys having couples truly capture their vision for their wedding day.

We loved the way CAA hosted and highlighted us as a couple for our wedding. This venue is truly one of a kind- they create a unique menu based on your food preference as well as gets to you as individuals. Chef Juan Hernandez is brilliant- we absolutely loved our menu for the cocktail hour as well as dinner. Guests have texted us after saying that was the best meal they have had at a wedding. Brian and I, as we left CAA, after our wedding said we will be missing working and getting to know the CAA staff members. Do not hesitate to use them as a venue- you will not regret it.